High School
by Doll Judgement
Summary: “I sincerely doubt that Aoi Senou had you on her mind when she was changing this morning.” Chie has her sights firmly set on Aoi and will do everything in her power to get closer to her; not even Aoi's boyfriend can deter her. Multiple pairings.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Mai HiME. If I did then Aoi would be the Council President whereas Nao would cause havoc by acquiring the Vice President position.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**High School**

* * *

A short grey haired girl with handsome facial features sat on a bench in the school hallway with her friend, a raven haired junior who was dressed as boyishly as she was. Both were idly sitting around because the classes for the day had just ended.

"C'mon, just look at her," the one with grey hair said, tugging at her short locks.

They, or perhaps just the charcoal haired one as the other girl just showed disinterest, were eyeing a chestnut haired fellow junior, popular representative of the student body Aoi Senou. She was stood by her lockers with her best friend Nao Yuuki who was aflso a junior. Both were wearing short skirts and form fitting t-shirts but the dark haired girl had her sights firmly set on the brunette. It was still undeniable that the redhead could match up to her beauty.

"I sincerely doubt that Aoi Senou had you on her mind when she was changing this morning," the other commented as she lazily gave Aoi a once over.

The charcoal haired girl pulled a pair of spectacles from her pocket and put them on to further analyse the other girl's clothes.

"Natsuki," she said seriously, "she is so teasing me."

The one named as Natsuki Kuga let out a snort of laughter and looked at her best friend sceptically only to see her sporting a serious expression. She sighed and knew that this was a crush that her friend would not get over until she had her way with the girl.

"Yeah, right Chie... she is not into you. She's dating the biggest jockstrap ever. I mean, hello? That should be an indicator for her sexuality," she said, patting the other's shoulders sympathetically.

It was now Chie's turn to look at Natsuki sceptically. "No girl is straight. Maybe bi but never straight," Chie Harada said in all seriousness.

Natsuki gave her friend a look and shook her head at her friend's ridiculous idea. Chie often came up with ridiculous theories and it was Natsuki's job as a good friend to talk her out of them before she idiotically decided to do a few 'experiments' to test it.

"Where'd you come up with that theory?" Natsuki asked warily.

Chie grinned and if that grin was anything to go by... Well, Natsuki knew that her mind was in the gutter right now.

"Primary research, I've lived for the experience," Chie said, grinning widely as she replayed some memories in her mind.

"Gross," Natsuki said, her face scrunched up at the thought. "I don't need to hear about your escapades."

"Does it remind you of your own lack of sexcapades?" Chie jested light-heartedly.

"I get girls moron," Natsuki said with a slight blush on her face. "I also have meaningful relationships, something which you should look into."

Chie made a noncommittal noise at the comment and looked back over at Aoi.

* * *

"God, Harada's looking at you like a piece of meat again," the redhead remarked candidly.

She twirled a lock of her short strawberry red hair with her finger as she sneaked a glance over her shoulder. The other girl was indeed checking Aoi out. Very thoroughly, she could add.

"How do you know she isn't looking at you Nao?" Aoi asked as she sorted through her locker.

The question caused her best friend to roll her eyes. "Because she's pretty tight with my girlfriend," Nao answered before checking Aoi out. "And your ass looks great in that skirt."

Aoi chuckled and lightly slapped Nao's arm as she looked over her shoulder to see if Chie was looking at her. When she saw that she was and didn't even look up from her gaze on her lower appendage, she turned back to her locker and shook her head.

"Chie and I haven't even crossed paths since she came here. I thought you knew me better than that," Aoi said with much exaggeration, mockingly putting her hand on her heart.

Nao laughed and grabbed her friend's arms, trailing her hand down until they were holding hands.

"Aww come on Aoi, you know how much I love you," she cooed mockingly.

* * *

"Oh, girl on girl action," Chie announced as she straightened up her posture.

Natsuki snickered at her friend's antics and looked away from the girls to offer them the privacy that Chie would never give.

"Do you think they're into each other?" Chie asked, a small grin forming at the thought.

Natsuki looked back at the girls to see Nao walking away from Aoi. "Probably not," she honestly answered, lazily watching them.

"They were holding hands and hugging. How is that not a sign?"

"Because every other girl does it," Natsuki retorted.

"Then why don't we do it?" Chie shot back.

"Because it's weird," Natsuki deadpanned.

Chie held out her hand and looked at Natsuki expectantly. When the other did not respond, she urged forward in her advances, going as far as to trying to take Natsuki's hand with her own.

"Dude! Okay okay," Natsuki finally gave up.

She looked around cautiously to make sure there weren't any onlookers, no problem seeing as how the hall was almost empty, and hesitantly placed her hand in Chie's. They looked at their joined hands for a second or two before pulling away quickly.

"Now I know why we don't do it," Chie said as she frantically wiped her palm on her jeans.

"This is why I don't listen to you," Natsuki said, getting out her hand sanitizing gel and cleaning her hands with it. "I'm heading back, you coming?"

Chie shook her head and nodded at Aoi, the only student in the now empty hallway.

"Well good luck," Natsuki said as she walked away, rolling her eyes.

Chie ran a hand through her short hair, removed her glasses and swaggered up to Aoi who had her back turned. A perfect unsuspecting victim.

"Senou," Chie said, smiling when said girl jumped and turned around. "What are you still doing here?"

"Hi Chie. I've got to go to a council meeting," Aoi explained as she eyed the hallway and the girl who was standing too close to her. "Why are you here?"

"No particular reason," she muttered before stepping closer to Aoi and placing her hands on her petite waist. "You look really hot today."

"Are you serious Chie? " Aoi asked with a roll of her eyes. "I mean really?"

"C'mon," Chie muttered as she slightly lowered her hands. "I saw you eying me just now."

Aoi laughed and pushed Chie back gently. "Nao said you were looking at me like a 'piece of meat,'" she explained, her hand still very much on Chie's clavicle. "And you were."

"I was," Chie admitted with no shame. "I really like your skirt."

"I bet you do," Aoi said, her thumb softly stroking Chie's skin.

"And I really like you," Chie grinned, once again taking a step closer.

Aoi merely laughed again, pushed her away and slammed the locker shut. "Keep wishing," Aoi said as she walked away. She gave the handsome girl one more glance over her shoulder as she finally disappeared from her view.

Chie leant against the locker with a thoughtful expression on her face. 'I like it when girls play hard to get,' she thought, finally pushing off the locker and walking in the opposite direction. 'I'll definitely make her mine.'

* * *

Aoi left the building after a tedious council meeting. She often had to attend even if her role was not a major one and each time she could have sworn they had gotten more boring. Why did she do it?

'Ah yes, for the extra credit,' she often had to remind herself not to quit.

Walking across the expanse of the parking lot, she spotted her best friend's girlfriend's car immediately as it was out of school hours and there were hardly any students left. She walked over to the plain navy blue Sedan, a plain car to suit its plain owner. She knocked on the window, purposely interrupting the two inhabitants in their heated make out session.

Both looked nonplussed. Actually, her redheaded friend looked a tad bit annoyed whilst her cyan haired girlfriend was impassive... as was usual.

"Your timing is a little off," Nao teased her once she settled into the back seat. "We were getting to the good part."

"I'm sorry Nao," Aoi said sarcastically before addressing their mutual friend, "Hey Miyu, how are you?"

"I'm fine," Miyu Greer answered plainly, turning the key and backing out of the parking lot. She caught Nao's eyes that were sending her a disapproving glare to which she responded with a sigh. She knew what she did wrong but she also knew that Aoi knew she meant no harm. Miyu just did not do conversations.

"Chill out Nao, you can't force Miyu to socialise," Aoi spoke up once she noticed them eyeing one another.

"I can and I will," Nao replied, giving Miyu a look that said 'We will talk about this when we get home.' Otherwise known as the wife look.

"Guess who came on to me today?" Aoi asked. "Chie Harada."

"I knew she wanted something!" Nao yelled from the front seat, animatedly turning in her seat as her girlfriend backed out of the parking lot. "God, what a dog. What did you do to make her talk to you?"

"She's been staying out of my path for so long," Aoi noted thoughtfully.

"Exactly, so what did you do?" Nao interrogated her.

"Nothing Nao," Aoi answered innocently. "You know me, pure and virginal."

"Yeah right," Nao scoffed before turning to her silent lover. "Babe, do you know anything?"

"No," Miyu answered bluntly, not once taking her eyes off the road.

"Elaborate," Nao ordered, rolling her eyes. "It could be useful."

There was a moment of silence as Miyu recalled a certain memory. "I spoke with Chie earlier on this break, none of the conversation was related with Aoi," Miyu answered before harbouring a rare thoughtful expression and continuing, "Though Natsuki did taunt her of one of her past failures to bait someone. Chie then adamantly claimed that she could 'get into anyone's pants.'"

"Ah, I guess this is where I did something," Aoi giggled as she too remembered an event. "I turned her down back when we were freshmen."

"Ohh, karma came and bit you right in the ass," Nao laughed. "You should have just gone with it. I mean, Harada's a dog and everything but she's still a hot piece of-"

Miyu cleared her throat.

"You can appreciate her looks as a girl," Nao deadpanned.

"Right," Aoi drawled. "I wouldn't want to be the flavour of the week. Besides, that was when I got with Hiroki."

"Urgh, that jockstrap," Nao sighed, repeated Natsuki's earlier words.

"Be nice, I've never had anything bad to say about your past endeavours," Aoi reminded her.

"You called Shiho a tentacle rape monster."

"Well in my defence I swear I saw those tentacles- I mean pigtails twitch," Aoi defended herself. "They're alive I tell you."

"Please don't go on another tentacle theory rant," Nao begged her. "There's only so much I can take."

"Fine, I'll indulge you next time," Aoi said playfully. "Ah Miyu, can you take me to Hiroki's seen as though we're near his house?"

"No way! Miyu isn't your pimp, she doesn't have to drop you off for a little after school service," Nao exclaimed indignantly, protesting further when Miyu turned onto Hiroki's street.

"Well I guess I'll call you later Nao," Aoi said once they stopped outside of Hiroki's impressive mansion. "Thanks Pimp Daddy, I'll always be your bitch."

Miyu replied with a nod of the head, ignoring Aoi's humour. Once she had fully excavated from the car, Miyu drove off as silence took over the atmosphere. Nao did talk a few times here and there but Miyu only offered one worded answers. If her girlfriend found anything odd about her monotone answers then she did not voice her worries.

* * *

That same night, Chie and Natsuki had agreed to meet up at Garderobe, a popular nightclub that resided in the quieter parts of Fuuka. Well, the scenario was more like Chie had bugged Natsuki enough to make her come. There were some hints of blackmail in there, after all they did share an apartment and _things_ happened behind closed doors.

They had just gained entrance to the club, Chie had 'connections' and the bouncer let her through without batting an eyelid. The rather large establishment housed a fair amount of people and was built so that the emphasis of loud pounding music would reverberate through your very core. Chie was eyeing the girls whilst Natsuki was eyeing the bar.

"Oh, we have a few potential candidates," Chie commented, her eyes never leaving what seemed to be a table of single girls.

"Let's hit the bar," Natsuki suggested, already making her way over there.

"Aw come on, you're not going back unsatisfied tonight," Chie demanded as they ordered themselves some alcohol.

"As long as I get a few pints in me then I'm satisfied," Natsuki muttered, unfortunately loud enough for Chie to hear.

"Everyone in school thinks you're asexual. I had to convince them that you slept with that one chick last year and that was last year!"

"You told them about Yukari? What the fuck!" Natsuki shouted, attracting attention from a few patrons scattered around the bar.

"Dude, I had to say something. It'll keep the girls interested in you," Chie reasoned.

Natsuki just shook her head at her friend and vowed to ignore her for the rest of the night. Her vow was unfortunately short-lived for she actually listened to Chie again.

"Look! That's Aoi," Chie said excitedly, nudging Natsuki to make her look. "She heard I was coming here so she came to make me jealous."

"Yeah right. That's Sir Jockstrap along with the... rest of the Council..." Natsuki trailed off as she fixated on one particular individual.

"Ooh, I see that the sexy President is here too. Man, she is gorgeous," Chie practically drooled over her. "I'm gonna' go over and chat her up if I can't get Aoi for now."

Natsuki pulled her friend back before she could take another step further. Chie looked at her strangely and Natsuki racked her brain for a quick excuse.

"Don't do it," Natsuki blurted out, thinking on how to elaborate. "You can't sit with them."

"Why not?" Chie questioned. The girl was acting sketchy and it sent off radars in her head because it was quite uncharacteristic.

"You don't even know them. You'll look like a douche if you just sit with them," Natsuki answered.

Chie hummed in thoughtfulness and agreed with her. "Miyu is not there but Takeda's in the Council..." She trailed off, grinning as a new game plan formed in her head.

Natsuki spat out her drink and grabbed Chie by her shoulders, shaking her slightly. "No, not him," she begged, the desperation obvious in her tone. "Don't call him here."

"Aw come on," Chie laughed. "He ain't a bad guy."

"He's decent but god damn it, he's infatuated with me. You don't know how annoying that is," Natsuki complained.

Whenever a situation with Takeda aroused, she always got worked up. He harboured romantic feelings for her since he first met her, something which annoyed her immensely. There has been plenty of times where she outrightly rejected his proposals of dating yet somehow, for some strange reason, it hadn't gotten through that thick head of his. Although he had toned down the lingering looks and sweet words, there were still elements of affections in his actions.

"Hey, I've had plenty of people infatuated with me," Chie boasted. "I just fuck 'em."

"Oh gross," Natsuki gagged. "I am gay for Christ's sake."

"Finally!" Chie cried in triumph, startling those around her. "We have a confirmation in sexuality!"

Natsuki glared at her friend and slapped the back of her head.

"Ouch, no need to get physical," Chie muttered before perking up. "Okay, so sexy Fujino is out of the question. Choose a girl for me."

It was somewhat of a tradition between the two to have Natsuki choose a girl for Chie to 'conquer.' They established the tradition long ago when Natsuki was sick of being dragged to an outing by Chie. It by no means made the night any better Natsuki, Chie just thought it would be cool to have a tradition.

"Hmm," Natsuki scouted the area, looking for the hardest candidate.

There was only one rule which was that you couldn't choose a girl who was already taken so Natsuki made sure to choose difficult ones such as ones that were already being chatted up by another girl.

"Ah, her," Natsuki said, indicating to a girl who seemed to be soaking up every word of another lavishly dressed girl. "Good luck."

"Give me a little more challenge," Chie joked before patting Natsuki on her back and walking to the girl. "Oh, and get some yourself!"

Natsuki just blushed and sunk in her seat and glared at any questioning looks Chie's shouting had attracted. She contemplated going home but she knew that the information would somehow get back to her friend and she would be berated the day after so she ordered herself another drink and settled into the seat, watching the people out on the dance floor. She noticed that Nao and Miyu were out there and it looked like Nao was trying to convince Miyu to dance. She turned back around knowing that she wouldn't have a chance to talk to her friend with the fiery red head around.

She was on her third drink and a little buzzed from the alcohol but otherwise, she was holding out fine for she had unwittingly discovered she had a high tolerance for alcohol. It does not need to be said that Chie was the reason she found out. She finished off her drink and wondered if she should order another and just get plastered like usual.

Before she could raise her arm up to attract the bartender, someone spoke from behind her.

"Ara, I never knew our school housed so many alcoholics."

Natsuki whirled around in her seat and met the crimson eyes of Fuuka's Council President. She blushed and spluttered as she tried to think a witty retaliation to the jibe, one that wouldn't sound dorky.

* * *

On the other side of the club, Chie was talking to the girl Natsuki pointed out earlier. She had successfully warded off the other player and found out that the girl's name was Iku. Whatever else the girl had said went into one ear and out the other, they both knew what they wanted and were inevitably building up the sexual tension with flirting and light bantering. Iku had gone off to the bathroom to 'freshen up,' probably her way of getting ready to leave the club with Chie, so Chie was left waiting in anticipation for the cute blonde.

Whilst waiting, she spotted the lovely form of Aoi Senou talking to the bartender, her boyfriend the jockstrap nowhere in sight. She downed her vodka in one go and sauntered up to the bar, up to the unwary brunette like she had done so earlier that day. Before arriving to the bar, she stole a quick glance at Natsuki and nearly faltered in her step when she saw Shizuru Fujino speaking to her.

'That's my Natsuki!' Chie mentally cheered before concentrating at the task in hand.

She reached the blue eyed brunette who was now sipping on what seem to be a margarita and placed her arms at each side of Aoi's waist on the bar, copying her earlier sentiments and trapping her.

She lowered her head so her lips caressed Aoi's ears and whispered, "What's a pretty girl like you doing here alone? If I were your significant other I'd sure as hell lavish you all the attention I could give."

It was déjà vu all over again. Aoi whipped around only to look into chocolate brown eyes.

"Is this sneaking up on me going to become a habit?" Aoi asked, unperturbed by the close proximity.

"Girls look cute when they're vulnerable," Chie shrugged before smirking. "But you look cute whenever."

Aoi rolled her eyes at the compliment. "Mmm, yeah, you might wanna' remove your hands," she said lazily.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Chie asked.

She was suddenly shoved to one side but quickly regained her balance before embarrassing herself in this crowded club. She met the angry cerulean eyes of Hiroki Shouji, the school's treasured quarterback and Aoi's beloved boyfriend.

"Watch it dyke," he snarled, wrapping an arm around Aoi's waist possessively. "Go to a gay bar or something."

"Hiro," Aoi said with a sharp tone which softened his glare.

"Sorry babe, you know I'm down with all the lesbos and fags as long as they stay out of our way," Hiroki said before addressing Chie. "So why don't you just do that and walk away from the straight girl who obviously doesn't want you."

"You're outright dismissal of my presence leads me to believe that you're insecure with me in the presence of Aoi," Chie smirked. "Are you scared that this dyke is gonna' steal your girl?"

Hiroki menacingly took a step forward and so did Chie but before either one could act, something attached itself to Chie.

"Chieeee, let's go now," Iku drawled, the alcohol clearly taking an effect on her. "You promised me a good time."

The undertones of sexual connotation were clear in the sentence so Chie winked at Aoi before hurriedly leaving with the random girl.

Hiroki scoffed before ordering himself a hard drink. "Dykes," he muttered before smiling at Aoi.

* * *

Later that night, Nao cuddled up to Miyu's naked body which was as stiff as ever. The cyan haired girl was asleep and it was in this state of dormancy that she usually seeks the warmth of Nao's body yet tonight for some odd reason she slept a slightly fitful sleep.

"Miyu," Nao cooed. "Miyu, wake up."

Miyu groggily opened her eyes, wearily looking around the room before focusing on Nao.

"What?" She asked, wanting nothing more but to go back to sleep.

"What's the matter? You've been out of sorts," Nao said, half sitting up and bending her left arm so she could rest her head on her left hand.

"Can we do this tomorrow?" Miyu requested, eyes already closing.

"Babe, you can barely sleep and you're not reciprocating the cuddle!" Nao exclaimed. "Are you being angsty about what I said about Harada? Or was it Shiho? I'm over her, you know that."

"It was nothing," Miyu curtly answered.

"It was so not nothing and I'm not dropping this until you speak."

Miyu suppressed a sigh and re-opened her eyes.

"Don't be grouchy," Nao pouted, making Miyu soften a little.

"...It's both," Miyu admitted after a long wait in silence.

"What exactly is it?"

"The rumours that circulate around school, the way you act and say things about other girls, your multitude of lovers..."

"Do you think I'm going to leave you?" Nao asked, a hint of doubt in her tone of voice.

"Not that," Miyu answered.

"Oh, so you think I'm going to cheat on you," Nao said, greatly offended that the thought even crossed Miyu's mind.

She huffed and turned her back to Miyu, glaring at the darkness that surrounded Miyu's room.

"It's not that," Miyu said, staring intently at Nao's back.

"Then what is it?" Nao said, turning her head slightly to glare at Miyu. "Because that is what it sounded like!"

Miyu allowed her girlfriend to rant on and calmly waited for the storm to siege. She zoned out and ignored Nao's tirade, blankly staring at the ceiling. She and Nao had been together for a whole month now, an impressive length compared to Nao's history of lovers. She turned back to Nao only to see that she had completely turned over and was looking at her with an expectant look.

"Well?" She demanded.

Miyu just looked at her disconcerted.

"Were you listening to a word I said?"

Miyu truthfully shook her head to indicate 'no.'

"You're sleeping on the couch," Nao declared before trying to push her off the bed.

She only got as far as turning Miyu onto her side before giving up and cuddling into her back, contradicted her earlier actions.

"You're infuriating you know," Nao said throwing an arm and a leg around Miyu.

She kissed her lover's shoulder and rested on it so they were cheek to cheek.

"I'll listen now."

Miyu exhaled a long breath and turned around kissing Nao sweetly and pulling her closer. She found it hard to feel any negative emotions for the fiery redhead.

"We'll talk about it later," Miyu said, comfortably settling them in a content position to sleep in.

"Okay, but don't think that I will forget about this," Nao warned sleepily, already closing her eyes.

Miyu merely nodded and fell into a quick slumber.

* * *

**Omake:**

"They were holding hands and hugging. How is that not a sign?"

"Because every other girl does it," Natsuki retorted.

"Then why don't we do it?"

"Because it's weird," Natsuki deadpanned.

Chie held out her hand and looked at Natsuki expectantly. When the other did not respond, she urged forward in her advances, going as far as to trying to take Natsuki's hand with her own. She enclosed Natsuki's rough hands within her own. The hands were a vital part of Natsuki's body, they were burdened with the vigorous tasks Natsuki set out to do and she had in turn bored scars of blisters and such. Chie did no hard work and kept her body in top shape, often moisturising with the best creams available.

"Your hands..." Natsuki murmured as hers were gently squeezed by the other girl's. "So soft..."

Chie traced the small line of one particularly bad looking scar.

"Did these hurt?" She asked.

"Not anymore," Natsuki whispered, her earnest green staring into intense brown ones.

"Good," Chie spoke softly, only noticing the small distance between herself and Natsuki.

She glanced down at Natsuki's plump pink lips and licked her own. Natsuki blushed at the action but did not retreat so Chie took that as a go ahead. She closed the distance between them and met those lips – those sweet, soft lips – with her own. She had expected the rough mannered girl to be very coarse and brazen at something like this but she had unexpectedly stepped into heaven.

They both pulled back from the kiss, their breaths coming out in short bursts as their heart skipped a beat. The blood rushed to Natsuki face but before she could comprehend what she had done, Chie had swooped back in for another kiss, less innocent than the first. Natsuki's blood ran to another place, heating her up in the pinnacle of the moment.

* * *

**Omake of an Omake:**

They both pulled back from the kiss, their breaths coming out in short bursts as their heart skipped a beat. The blood rushed to Natsuki face but before she could comprehend what she had done, Chie had swooped back in for another kiss, less innocent than the first. Natsuki's blood ran to another place, heating her up in the pineapple of the moment.

"That's pinnacle Haruka," Yukino whispered to the blonde haired narrator.

"That _is_ what I said Yukino," Haruka harshly whispered back, accidently into the microphone.

"Aaaaaand cut! You ruined the moment Haruka!" A raven haired girl spoke up, her beret sat askew on her hand as she held a script.

* * *

**Omake of an Omake [Take 2]:**

"Your hands..." Natsuki murmured as hers were gently squeezed by the other girl's. "So soft..."

Chie traced the small line of one particularly bad looking scar.

"Did these hurt?" She asked.

"Not anymore," Natsuki whispered, her earnest green staring into intense brown ones.

Chie was going to reply but all of a sudden, the speed of the wind had suddenly picked up and scattered leaves danced in the air. For some unexplainable reason they were in an open area that was secluded from the school. It also seemed that there was not a single person in sight apart from them.

"What the hell?" Chie whispered in awe as she noticed the air in front of them becoming denser.

The spot darkened until it became a black obsolete hole. A figure was seen but not prominent enough to be distinguished. Slowly but surely, the figure stood out of the hold dragging a sack in one hand whilst wielding a deadly weapon in the other.

Chie and Natsuki gasped as the figure's face became clear, their hands tightening in their hold with each other. The naginta reflected the bright sun and the brown haired Council President threw the sack bundle in front of her. She ignored the two could-be lovers as she tore the bundle open with a few swipes of the sharpened weapon. The sack revealed an Asian girl in her late teens, tied together with ropes and harbouring various bruises and cuts on her body and face.

"Look at what you have done!" Shizuru cried in anguish, pointing her naginta at Chie and Natsuki to indicate them. "This is your doing!"

The girl shook her head, she was not able to speak because of the rope that gagged her mouth. Her short black hair fell into her eyes and she looked up in Shizuru with fear apparent in her eyes. Shizuru moved her arm in a fast motion and the girl was set free without a single nick on her from that sudden action.

"Finally..." She uttered.

Shizuru glared at her with her intimidating red eyes.

"Will you repent for this?" She growled.

The girl looked from the couple who were still stunned in silence and to Shizuru and back again.

"Here I can do whatever I want and it goes!" The girl tried to argue. "As long as I deliver upfront action it doesn't matter about the logistics of illegibility!"

Shizuru smacked the girl across the face with the flat side of her blade on her naginta. The readers who are reading this couldn't help but find that act slightly kinky and lustfully conjured up a fantasy of the President and a certain blue haired rebel.

"Fix it! Fix it now!" Shizuru uncharacteristically screamed.

"I'm sorry!" The girl begged, hugging Shizuru's knees. "I'll make this an extra! It won't count!"

Shizuru patted the weeping girl on her head as if she were a mere child.

"Good girl," she said in a patronising tone of voice. "My sweet little puppet."

She then whisked away the girl by kicking her into the black hole which then in turn faded away as if it had never appeared. Natsuki and Chie stared amazement at what had just occurred in front of their very eyes. They looked at their hands and slowly let go off one another. Before they could fully register the event that had come to pass, their bodies had raised themselves of their own accord and walked off in opposite directions. Their thought pattern paused and the odd phenomenon had wiped itself out, completely dislodging itself from their memories.

When they came to, they found themselves in different situations. They went on as if it never happened because it never happened.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

Yeaaah, I think this type of story and setting would be better suited for the West but ya know, I wanted to give Chie and Aoi some love. My other stories are based on Shizuru and Natsuki but if I changed the names to Chie and Aoi, it just wouldn't fit.

I'm posting this chapter now because my college work has picked up and this means much procrastinated which will be dedicated to my stories. Strangely enough, I hardly wrote anything in the summer holidays.

On another note, if anyone is interested in beta-ing some other stuff, including this, then don't hesitate to contact me. All you would be required to do is give me your views of the story, as a reader, and I'll take them into context. I seriously don't know where I'm going with them so advice will be much appreciated.

I think I have the grammar thing down but if you do spot anything, highlight it.

Chapter two is... somewhere in the works. I'm trying to finish it up as soon as I can.

#I changed the title :x


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Mai HiME. If I did then it would be a shoujo slice-of-life anime, my favourite genre.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**High School**

* * *

Chie stared down into the alluring cleavage, contemplating whether to initiate round two yet a niggling doubt set in the back of her head made her wonder if she locked the door of the janitor's closet they were encased in. Still, she ran her hands up the revealed legs now that the girl's skirt was pooled around her waist.

"We better stop," Chie said as she kept glancing in between the door and the girl. "Classes are about to start."

"Okay," the girl said as she unlocked her legs from Chie's waist, making sure to rub against her as much as possible.

Chie almost whimpered at the contact, but ignored it and washed up before leaving the room and the other girl. She strolled down the hallway, greeted some people but ignoring the jeers of the others. Her popularity in the school was half and half, she was either very _familiar_ with the majority of the girls or she was hated on by the homophobes. This had created certain divides in the school which were obvious if you walked into the cafeteria.

Chie walked into her Spanish lesson, taking her seat next to Natsuki and holding out a fist for her to pop. Natsuki made to touch it with her own but stopped at the last minute, staring at the fist suspiciously.

"Where have you been?" She questioned.

"Don't blank me like that. And I've been at my welcoming party with Sumiko," Chie said suggestively.

"Hence why I did not want to touch your hand," Natsuki answered with a disgusted huff.

Chie merely placed said disgusting hand on Natsuki's shoulder and looked at her slyly.

"And where did _you _go last night?" She asked, the lecherous grin told Natsuki that she was thinking lewd things again.

"What are you talking about? I came home last night," Natsuki said, trying not to blush as she recalled the night.

"Oh yeah but you weren't smashed as usual. Is there any correlation between this and the fact that you spoke to the sexy President?" Chie wiggled her eyebrows.

"Shut up!" Natsuki snarled as she punched Chie in the arm, successfully giving her a dead arm.

"Oh motherfu-!"

"Chie, unless you're going to correctly say that word in Spanish then I suggest you do not say it at all," the Spanish teacher shouted from the front of the classroom.

"Ah, sorry Teach. By the way, you look _muy caliente_ today," Chie said with no shame as she cradled her dead arm.

"Yes yes, thank you Chie," the teacher said as if this was ritual. "I suppose I look '_muy caliente_' just like the other days, hmm?"

"Of course _chica_," Chie winked, letting the easy going teacher carry on with her lesson. She waited until the teacher was writing on the board to assault Natsuki with questions about last night.

"So, why didn't you drink as much last night?" Chie asked, not inserting any sexual innuendos in fear of Natsuki punching her again.

"Because we had school today," Natsuki explained in a low tone. "I didn't want a hangover."

"Okay, I'll buy that," Chie said. "But why did you come home pretty late then?"

"I was talking to someone," Natsuki answered vaguely, hoping to at least satisfy Chie by actually giving answers.

"Oh, who?" Chie asked nonchalantly.

"... Mai," Natsuki said.

Chie looked at her suspiciously. It would only take her a minute to figure out whether the girl was lying or not. Natsuki was like an open book when it came to her friends, she couldn't help but let her guard down to the ones who she had known for so long.

"I never noticed Mai at the club," Chie said thoughtfully.

"You were probably too busy with that one chick," Natsuki said in hopes to divert the attention away from her.

"Oh yeah, Iku was her name," Chie grinned to herself, probably recalling the memories of the night.

"Don't tell me anymore," Natsuki said as she pulled a face before nudging Chie to tell her to face the front where the teacher had her eyes on the class.

"All you need to know is that she can do this amazing thing with her tongue," Chie said wolfishly before silencing herself to pretend that she was paying attention to the lesson.

* * *

Nao blew a lock of hair from her face as she leant upon an upturned palm, impatiently waiting for her friend to be finished. She was in the council room where most members of the Council were currently having an impromptu meeting and she was granted entry as long as she could quietly wait for Aoi. She popped her gum as she stared off into space, not noticing that her unconscious habit was grating at a certain Council member's nerve. It was on her 23rd pop when the blonde finally snapped.

"God! Will you stop with the pooping!" The blonde shouted as she slammed a hand down on the desk in front of the red head, effectively startling her into attention.

Everyone stood stark still in silence as they registered the blonde's malapropism in their minds.

"Uh, Haruka? It's 'popping'... Not pooping," a mousy brunette spoke up from behind her laptop.

"That's what I said Yukino!" The blond named Haruka Suzushiro exclaimed in her boorish voice.

Yukino Kikukawa merely shook her head at her dear friend's antics knowing that she was too proud to admit a mistake.

"Why did we even let you in here?" Haruka asked rhetorically.

"Chill out Haruka," Nao said as she leaned back in her seat. "The faster you get this meeting over and done with, the faster you won't see me."

"I believe Nao is right," Shizuru said from her place at the head of the classroom. "I would not like to cut into any of your lunch times any longer."

"That's our President, always thinking of others," a boy with a scar on his forehead joked. It was probably not a joke for Shizuru always seemed to make it feel like she put others before herself.

"Of course Takeda," Shizuru said with a twinkle in her eye, flashing him a winning smile.

"Right," Aoi spoke up. "Then let's get on with it so we can get the antsy one out of here." She threw Nao a playful look who responded with a mock glare.

* * *

"God that took forever," Nao moaned, finally set free from the confines of the meeting.

She and Aoi were seating in an exclusive patch on the roof, neither accompanied by their lovers who claimed to have made commitments beforehand.

"If you whine less then time will pass faster," Aoi teased as she took a bite out of her salad.

"Ah shut up," Nao snarled though you could see the hints of a grin. "If Miyu didn't have other plans then I wouldn't be stuck with you in the first place."

Aoi pushed Nao and laughed. "Aw, you put me in such high regards," she cooed.

"You know it," Nao stuck her tongue out at Aoi.

They laughed and joked around for a while, eating their lunches and talking about anything and everything. When it came to a lull in their conversation, Aoi spoke up about what happened on the night before.

"Guess who hit on me again," Aoi laughed as she recalled how the charcoal haired girl snuck up on her.

Nao rolled her eyes and laid down on her back, her arms bent they supported her head. "Let me guess: Chie? Oh, what a surprise," Nao spoke in monotone.

Aoi laughed and laid down next to Nao, though on her front and head propped up on her elbows so she was looking down at Nao. They were lucky that the roof was void of people. With the positions they were in, they could have given a few lucky people a saucy panty shot.

"Yeah but she didn't feel me up this time," Aoi said thoughtfully.

"What?" Nao shouted, leaning up on one elbow. "She felt you up? You should have broken her fingers!"

"Calm down Nao, it wasn't like she groped me or anything. She had her hands just under my top."

"Just wait, she'll probably be jumping you like a dog on heat," Nao muttered as she laid back down. "Mmm, I'd choose her over Hiroki anyday."

"You'd choose anyone over Hiroki," Aoi commented languidly, "Especially if they were a girl."

"Well yeah. I still remember what that asshole said to me when I first met. God, I swear he's a homophobe in disguise, he only tones it down because he's whipped," Nao complained, getting worked up. "The dick, I had half a mind to tell Miyu to beat him up."

"Language," Aoi admonished. "And please be easier on Hiroki. He has righted his ways."

"Yeah, only because you bitch at him," Nao snickered. "Try not to suppress your lesbian desires. I heard it's bad for you."

"Shut up," Aoi shouted, smacking Nao on her stomach, making her double over slightly. "I regret ever telling you about my sexual doubts."

"'Sexual doubts'?" Nao laughed, clearly amused. "Just say it out loud, 'I am bisexual.' I don't think I've ever heard you refer to yourself like that."

"Nao! You're bisexual?" Aoi exclaimed. "I never thought I'd see the day where you say you like men."

"Hey, don't mock me. I'm trying to support the gay community here. 'Be out and proud',' be who are you are', 'closets are for clothes', et cetera et cetera."

Aoi stared at her friend. "Wow," she breathed out. "I didn't know you felt so strongly."

"I don't. I just think that it would help you if you actually admitted you liked girls too," Nao explained.

"Oh, how would that help me?" Aoi asked dubiously.

"It'll open up more options instead of the jockstrap."

"Stop calling him that," Aoi reprimanded her. "He's quite sweet you know."

"Yeah yeah, whatever," Nao rolled her eyes.

The two continued to talk about various topics. Mostly Nao poking fun at Aoi's dismissal of her own sexuality and Aoi trying to defend her boyfriend who Nao so blatantly detested.

* * *

Natsuki walked around aimlessly for the lunch period. Chie was off doing someone probably and she didn't want to impose on her other friends so she settled for finding a quiet place to relax the rest of the lunch break away. Heck, she could have just spent the day at home instead to relax but her mother had phoned her recently and she would've felt extremely guilty if she did not attend.

She walked to the fields of Fuuka where there was a few people playing various sports and some others lounging around. Thankfully none of them were paying attention to her so she could slip through some bushes to a reserved part of the field that no one knew about. Well, it would have been no one were it not for the Council's President who was currently sat there, startled eyes inquisitively looking over at the noise in the hedge.

Natsuki sheepishly rubbed her arm as she stepped out from the foliage of leaves.

"Oh, is Natsuki still stalking me?" Shizuru teased from her spot on the embankment. "I'd have thought she would be satisfied with following me to the club last night."

Natsuki blushed and took a seat besides Shizuru.

"I told you it was mere coincidence that we met," she defended herself. "And besides, this is my spot."

"Really? May I see the land treaty as evidence?"

Natsuki groaned and rubbed her face. Shizuru seemed to be in a playful mood today and Natsuki guessed that she wouldn't mellow down anytime soon so she prepared herself for any teases that were going to be thrown her way.

"You know what I mean, don't intentionally misinterpret my words," Natsuki said. "I've been coming here for ages and I haven't seen you here."

"Then we're merely coming at different times. I too have been coming here for a considerable amount of time," Shizuru noted.

Natsuki hummed in surprise and relaxed against the grass.

"Does anyone else know about this spot?" Natsuki asked her.

"None that I recalled. We should keep this between ourselves," Shizuru proposed.

"Yeah," Natsuki easily agreed.

Natsuki wasn't sure what to say. Being around the other girl made her extremely nervous for a good reason, she was a constant target for her teasing and it felt quite uncomfortable to be scrutinised by those deep red eyes.

"I come here to escape," Shizuru offered quietly after a few minutes of silence.

Natsuki idly scratched her nose and wondered what to say to that surprisingly personal admission from the usually reserved President. She went for the generic reply.

"Escape what?" She questioned.

"Everything," Shizuru replied vaguely.

Natsuki detected the undertones of weariness in Shizuru's voice, something which most people would miss because they would be staring in awe and infatuation at the rather famous President, ready to agree with everything she said and generally kiss her ass. Natsuki sat up a bit straighter to show that she was really paying attention.

"Like what?" She asked, genuinely curious.

Shizuru tried to smile the question away. "I would not want to wear Natsuki down with this sudden melancholic attitude," she said. "Perhaps we should forget that I said anything."

Natsuki was not buying it. "No way. You started something so finish," she urged her. "I'm not one of your petty admirers so that stuff won't work on me."

"You're not, are you?" Shizuru asked seriously, addressing her directly instead of dancing around in third person narrative. "What are we Natsuki?"

Natsuki held the intense gaze of the older girl, willing herself not to scratch her nose or rub the back of her neck as a sign of nervousness. This was a serious question, one which with every answer could change their relationship. Natsuki liked to think that she was more than friends with Shizuru yet not at the calibre of lovers.

"I'm not an admirer but I am a friend and a bit more," Natsuki said slowly and surely.

"What do you mean 'a bit more'?" Shizuru goaded her. "Tell me Natsuki."

"Do you really want me to say it? It could change us," Natsuki tried to get out of it but when she saw Shizuru nodding earnestly, she took the plunge. "We... We have the potential to be more than friends."

"You're still not saying it," Shizuru said, her voice unintentionally dropping a tone lower as she leant closer to Natsuki.

Natsuki nervously licked her lips as she looked at Shizuru's pouty lips and said it outright, "I like you Shizuru."

"Good because I like you too Natsuki," Shizuru whispered before taking one last look into vibrant green eyes and completely leaning her head towards Natsuki's, meeting her in a gentle kiss.

* * *

Miyu stared at Chie blankly before completely ignoring her and turning away.

"Hey, wait!" Chie cried.

She grabbed the stoic girl's arm but Miyu grabbed the offending hand's wrist in a bone crushing grip making Chie whimpered a little at the pain.

"Okay, first I'd like to say, _ouch_!" Chie exclaimed, tugging her arm free and rubbing the sore limb. "And second, why not? It's a fairly small favour."

"If you're interested in her, ask her," Miyu advised bluntly, turning once more to walk away.

Chie easily kept in pace with her to wherever she was going to.

"She turned me down. I just need to you do this, I would have asked Takeda if he was a girl which he might be with the way he acts, but you know Nao who knows Aoi." Chie persuaded. "And you're a closer friend of mine than Takeda."

Miyu looked at her for a good few seconds and saw the desperation swirling in Chie's eyes. What type of person could turn down someone who looked so pathetic? Chie was full of hope due to the prolonged answer and was sure that her friend would come through for her.

"No."

Chie faltered in her step and grabbed her friend's arm.

"Why not- Ack!" She cried out in pain once more and pulled her arm away. "Please, I'm begging you! I'll even return the favour whenever you need it."

Miyu looked at Chie again and it seemed like she was actually contemplating the proposal.

"I'll do _anything_," Chie said, emphasising the 'anything.'

Miyu nodded in compliance and Chie pumped a fist in the air.

"You are awesome," Chie cried in triumph. "So can you do it for me? It's this weekend right?"

"Yes, at Nao's home," Miyu answered her.

"Hmm, so it's a small party?"

"Yes."

"Cool, I can dig that," Chie nodded to herself in thought before fully addressing Miyu. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Later," Miyu requested. "We have class now."

"Okay then. See you later," Chie waved her off. "And thanks again!"

* * *

Chie slipped into the classroom and took a seat next to Natsuki. Usually in the science lesson she would sit near a few girls so she could flirt with them to get through the lessons. Natsuki actually paid attention to this lesson and even she couldn't distract her but today she was bursting with excitement that needed to be let out.

"Yo," Chie greeted Natsuki who only gave a nod back and returned to waiting for the teacher to start the lesson. "I have some good news."

"Tell me later, we're starting a new topic today," Natsuki said.

"As much as I love human biology, this is more important than that," Chie urged her. "It involves Aoi."

"Then it must be important," Natsuki commented dryly, rolling her eyes at her persistent friend. "Hurry up then."

"You know that party Nao hosts where it's all chicks? Yeah, I got us into that," Chie happily started.

"I thought you could already get us in there," Natsuki said.

"Well yeah but this is part of the plan. Miyu is going to mention it to Aoi and say good things about me," Chie grinned. "This way she'll big me up to Aoi. Much more effective seen as though she's _Miyu_, she doesn't usually compliment people."

Natsuki snorted at the absurdity at that. "Yeah right," she scoffed. "How did you manage that?"

"I told her I'll return the favour later. It seemed like she actually needed me," Chie replied.

"Must be serious," Natsuki muttered before perking up as she watched the teacher write something on the board.

"Hey, I'm not finished here," Chie grumbled as Natsuki ignored her. "Listen to me!"

"Hurry it up!" Natsuki urgently whispered.

"We wouldn't be having this conversation if I could find you at lunch. Where were you?" Chie asked.

Natsuki unconsciously blushed as she recalled her meeting with the President and the events that went on. Chie merely quirked an eyebrow at her but did not comment on it further, knowing that she'll just upset the bluenette.

"I went to the fields," Natsuki answered.

"Oh. I didn't check up there. Who were you with?"

"God, you're so inquisitive. I was by myself," Natsuki growled. "With no one, doing nothing okay?"

"And you're so defensive. I never said you were with anyone," Chie smirked. "But your blatant denial leads me believe otherwise."

"Look, just drop it okay," Natsuki said seriously, finally taking her eyes of the teacher to look at Chie head on.

"Whatever you're hiding will come back and bite you in the ass," Chie told her. "It'll blow up."

"I'm not hiding anything," Natsuki said through gritted teeth.

Chie finally backed off and left Natsuki to stew in her own thoughts.

* * *

Aoi skipped to dark blue Sedan, quickly entering and greeting her two friends. She noticed a strange tension between the two but wisely ignored it, choosing to consult Nao about it later.

"I cannot wait for the weekend," Aoi beamed, her infectious attitude cheering Nao up a little.

"Of course, my parties are legendary," Nao boasted. "No pricks with dicks."

Aoi laughed and patted her friend on the shoulder. "Not the words I was going to use but yes, it's nice to have a huge girl's night in," she said.

"A night without your boyfriend in a house full of gay girls, I wonder what will go on," Nao hummed though her fake thoughtful expression was ruined by the grin on her face.

"Shut up! Not all of the girls there are lesbians," Aoi noted. "Mai's going to be there."

"That's where you're wrong," Nao interjected quickly. "Who's to say that Mai isn't feeding the ravenous beast that is Mikoto. It's an all you can _eat_ buffet for her."

Aoi squealed with disgust. "That's gross! Mikoto's just a kid."

Nao cackled in her seat as Aoi's face contorted in various horrified expressions as some images flashed through her head. Miyu took this momentarily pause in the conversation as an opportunity to set Chie's plan in motion.

"Nao," she said. "I hope you don't mind but I invited Chie and Natsuki."

Nao just gazed at her lover with a stunned expression adorning her face. It was not every day that Miyu would invite people to any events and it was not a regular occurrence that she would announce it in front of people despite how well she knew them.

"Why did you do that?" Nao asked, a little wary of her girlfriend's behaviour.

"They are admirable people and my friends too," Miyu explained.

"Well that's a good enough reason," Aoi quickly interfered, knowing that something was wrong between the two.

"You'd agreed with anything if it's with Harada," Nao said as she rolled her eyes.

Aoi groaned in the back seat. "I'm not going to jump her," she stated.

"But she'll probably jump you," Nao sniggered. "Anyway, its cool babe, they're actually alright so they can come."

"Your party is not that exclusive. Last time you didn't even notice some girls from Shogen High sneak in," Aoi exclaimed.

"I was drunk," Nao protested. "Of course I ain't gonna' notice. Anyway, they were hot so I allowed them in as long as they didn't break anything."

"Right," Aoi drawled. "Ah, Miyu can you drop me off at home?"

"Okay," Miyu said as she manoeuvred the car with ease.

"Would you mind if I took Nao for the day?" Aoi asked her.

"Hey," Nao interposed quickly. "I don't have an owner you know, you can just ask me."

"I don't mind," Miyu answered, ignoring Nao's contribution to the conversation. "When her behaviour becomes unbearable, I recommend you feed her."

Aoi laughed so hard that she had to double over and clutch her stomach from the pain of laughing. Miyu's nonchalant and blunt behaviour made the situation all the funnier for her. The same couldn't be said for Nao though; she was currently giving her girlfriend a dirty look even though it had no effect on her.

"You two are so right for each other," Aoi sighed once her laughter subsided, patting each of them on the shoulder. "Oh, we're here."

She exited the car after thanking Miyu and Nao followed uttering a quick goodbye. Miyu blandly watched as the two girls walked into Aoi's house and drove away, a storm raging in her mind.

The house was grand and definitely showed that Aoi's family were well off. Aoi led Nao up a set of stairs into her bedroom which faced the garden in the backyard. The view was magnificent as they had hired the best landscaper to spruce up their garden. Coincidently, there was a patchwork fence under her window, a great tool for quick escapes.

"What's that all about?" Aoi asked as she sat down on her bed.

Nao jumped on the bed and laid down on it, looking up at Aoi. "What's what?"

"You and Miyu," Aoi explained. "I could feel the tension in the atmosphere."

"There's something going on with her," Nao explained, turning over and burying her face into Aoi's pillows. "I'm not sure what she's fretting about but we were supposed to talk about it this morning."

"'Supposed to'?" Aoi echoed, reclining slightly.

"I partied hard last night, got drunk, came home and had sex. Of course I was going to wake up with a hangover," Nao said dryly.

"Strange, I thought Miyu would still come to you even if you are grouchy."

"She did," Nao said, ignoring the 'grouchy' comment. "But my head was pounding so I told her we'll talk about it later."

"Well you must know what she wanted," Aoi said disbelievingly. "I doubt you couldn't tell."

It was true, Nao's perception skills were very sharp and for her to not have an idea of what Miyu had wanted was very odd.

"Okaaaaay," Nao drawled. "She called me a slut and a cheater. There. You happy? 'Cuz I'm not."

"She did not call you that," Aoi laughed at her friend. "What did she say? And tell me the exact words, not your weird interpretation."

"So she didn't say that but she totally insinuated it," Nao defended herself from the accusations.

"What did she say?" Aoi repeated, cutting her friend off before she said farfetched lies.

"Right, so last night she was being all restless and shit, I couldn't cuddle up to her properly. I woke her up to ask her why she was being weird and she started talking some nonsense about rumours spreading around school and my 'multitude of lovers'," Nao said, quoting 'multitude of lovers' with the finger actions.

Aoi let the words register in her mind. Miyu was not one to state any apprehensive thoughts out loud, especially about subjects that could easily be broken by such thoughts. Nao was easy to anger and often jumped to conclusions, despite having a sharp mind. She would have felt a bit unconfident if she were Miyu, knowing that Nao had a history of jumping from girl to girl.

"So she's insecure?" Aoi finalised.

Nao looked at her in disbelief. "She's Miyu, she's never insecure," Nao said.

"She's human, she can feel every emotion."

"Yeah but... It's _Miyu!_ She's like a robot sometimes," Nao sighed. "She opens up when we're behind closed doors though. She does the cutest things too, you'd be surprised."

Aoi noted her friend's happy expression when talking about her girlfriend, the tender tone used and how she did not notice she was rambling on about Miyu.

"You really like her, don't you?" She asked somewhat rhetorically for the answer was painstakingly obvious.

"Of course, otherwise I won't be giving her my time of the day," Nao answered.

"And she must like you if you haven't drawn her away," Aoi said thoughtfully, a finger poised on her lip.

"What are you trying to say? That I repulse people?" Nao snarled angrily.

Aoi was not frightened and merely giggled at her friend. "You jump to conclusions too fast," she said. "Did you even _listen_ to what Miyu said last night?"

"Yeah I did. How else will I know these things?" Nao said snidely.

"Well don't bite my head off," Aoi sternly told her, making her sober up. "I'm guessing that Miyu said something about the rumours and such and you started spouting off reasons about why she was saying what she was saying and not giving her a chance to say why she was saying what she was saying thus, ending up with wrong answers and Miyu feeling still so very insecure."

"Make that simpler for me," Nao demanded impatiently, not willing to endure the long moments it would take to decipher that riddle.

"You didn't give Miyu a chance to justify herself," Aoi concluded. "And she's still worrying about it."

Nao contemplated this for a few moments, seeing sense in what Aoi said. She started mentally berating herself for being so blind and groaned.

"Well fuck," she cursed. "What should I do?"

"I don't know but you know her best so you decide," Aoi advised her. "Anyway, don't be so down, I didn't call you over for that."

Nao pushed the problem to the back of her mind and focused on her friend.

"We need to pick me an outfit!" Aoi exclaimed happily, leading her whining friend by the hands into her huge walk in closet.

"I want to go home!" Nao moaned.

* * *

**Omake:**

She walked to the fields of Fuuka where there was a few people playing various sports and some others lounging around. Thankfully none of them were paying attention to her so she could slip through some bushes to a reserved part of the field that no one knew about. Well, it would have been no one were it not for the Council's President who was currently sat there, startled eyes inquisitively looking over at the noise in the hedge.

Natsuki jumped out from the foliage of leaves.

**A wild NATSUKI appeared!**

_Go! SHIZURU! _

_What will SHIZURU do?_

_SHIZURU used Leer._

_A critical hit!_

_It's super effective!_

**NATSUKI's blushes and her defence drops.**

**Wild NATSUKI used Glare!**

**Wild NATSUKI's attack has no effect!**

_SHIZURU used Suggestive Pose._

_A critical hit!_

_It's super effective!_

**Wild NATSUKI fainted!**

_SHIZURU gained 1738 EXP. Points!_

_SHIZURU drags unconscious NATSUKI back to her dorm._

_-The next day-_

_SHIZURU used Amnesia!_

**NATSUKI has no recollection of the previous night.**

**NATSUKI somehow gained 58,624 EXP. Points!**

**Author's Notes:**

First of all, a huge thanks to the amazing BloodThornChaos for beta-ing this chapter for me. If it weren't for her there would be a hell of a lot more typos in here. Thanks a lot ^-^

Second thanks goes to those who read this, those who reviewed and those favourite'd/alerted this.

Oh, and shame on you for not knowing what that omake is based on!

Chapter 3 has... gone awol.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Mai HiME. [Insert funny afterthought here]

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**High School**

* * *

It was two days before the legendary 'all girls' party of Nao's when Miyu approached Chie for the favour. It was not easy. She couldn't just stroll up to her and ask for help, she had to go through much deliberation and convince herself to go up to Chie. It was surprisingly uncharacteristic for her to hesitate but she managed to hide it and not give herself away. She was sure that Nao at least suspected something because the younger girl was acting in a very offhanded manner with her.

She approached the group of girls where Chie was sat and patiently waited for Chie to notice her. Chie did and broke off from the group, taking Miyu to a secluded place, behind a school building, to talk more privately.

"What can I do for you?" Chie asked, eager to help her out and get the favour out of the way.

"I require a few answers for some simple questions," Miyu told her, expression unchanging as always.

"Just answers? About what?" Chie asked.

"You are... well versed in the subject of woman, correct?" Miyu asked.

"Oh, you're having lady problems?" Chie summarised, leaning against the wall of the building as Miyu leant next to her. "I do, to an extent, have a vast knowledge of the _insides_ of a woman."

"I have a few questions pertaining to Nao's history," Miyu told her bluntly.

She left no room for dilly dallying around the question. It was one of her beliefs to not beat around the bush or hesitate when wanting something. It would not do to hesitate with a matter like this.

"Okay then, shoot. I'll answer to the best of my ability."

* * *

Natsuki was once again aimlessly wandering the halls. Chie had gone off, leaving Natsuki to her own devices and seen as though Shizuru was at another impromptu council meeting, she saw no reason to go to their secret place where they discreetly made out. Natsuki didn't know what their relationship was; all she knew was that they liked each other in _that_ way and that they made out. A lot. They hadn't even discussed it yet because it had only been a day or so since they revealed their feelings despite having being friends with each other for months.

Natsuki looked up from her brooding and noted that her thoughtless drifting had led her to the block where the council room was. She did not realise it but this had many different connotations, the main one being her natural connection to the beautiful President. She decided she might as well wait for Shizuru to finish the meeting so they could spend what little time was left of lunch together and didn't look at it in any different way. Whilst on her way to the allocated room she stumbled upon Takeda, the guy who has harboured a crush on her for years even when she did not show an interest in him.

"Y-Yo! Kuga!" He stiffly greeted her; face blushing as he met the quiet girl in the hallway.

"Takeda," Natsuki nodded in greeting before realising something. 'Takeda's in the Council so if he's out of there then that means Shizuru is too.'

"...Tomorrow?" Takeda asked, not knowing that Natsuki wasn't paying attention.

"Huh? Yeah, sure?" Natsuki said. Well, it came out as more of a question but it was enough to make Takeda jump with joy.

"It'll be awesome!" He exclaimed, not caring who overheard. Natsuki just looked at him blankly but he was too elated to notice.

"What will be awesome?" A voice said from behind him.

Natsuki and Takeda turned to the person and both greeted the Council President in turn. Natsuki smiled brightly at her but because Takeda was somewhat in her line of vision, he thought that she was smiling at him and gained a little courage.

"Natsuki and I are going to the arcade this Friday," Takeda said.

If Shizuru looked surprised then it didn't show. Natsuki, on the other hand, was wide-eyed with a startled expression.

"We are?" Natsuki asked unsurely.

"Well duh, that's what we finalised plans for," Takeda said cheerfully. "I have to get back to kendo now but I'll call you beforehand. B-Bye Kuga!"

He left the two, not without one last blush for Natsuki. The two girls were now left in an uncomfortable tense silence.

"Ara, do you two have a... date?" Shizuru asked Natsuki uneasily.

She was certain that she and Natsuki had established some sort of romantic awareness for each other but the event that had just proceeded made her doubt Natsuki's feelings.

"A date?!" Natsuki exclaimed.

The notion was so absurd that she could not fathom how anyone, let alone Shizuru, could gather that. She had been firm in her blatant rejection of Takeda's affections.

"We're not dating!" Natsuki pressed.

'I hope not,' Shizuru thought as she examined the girl before her. 'She _does_ seem very surprised.'

"So why did you not know where you were going?" Shizuru questioned her.

"I wasn't paying attention to him," Natsuki admitting before shyly adding, "I was thinking about when I would see you."

Shizuru somehow repressed her blush, knowing that her many admirers would see and cause a hassle. In her eyes, Natsuki was redeemed for involuntarily making a date with Takeda. She took a step closer to Natsuki.

"Meet at our secret spot?" She requested in a whisper.

"Okay, you go first and I'll follow up so it doesn't look suspicious," Natsuki said.

She stood in the middle of the hallway, keeping her eye on Shizuru until she was out of sight.

* * *

Nao grudgingly followed Aoi in the cafeteria. She trailed after her, groaning when she saw the table full of jocks that her friend was heading to. Miyu was mysteriously missing again today so she had no other option but to have lunch with Aoi. Of course there were other people she could have eaten with, Aoi just happened to ask first.

They approached the table and Hiroki jumped out of his seat, yelling out a 'Hey babe!' Aoi gave him a chaste but deep kiss in greeting and sat down with him, his arm easily falling atop her shoulders. Nao reluctantly took a seat next to her, becoming the object of staring from the other boys on the table.

"I'm a lesbian so don't even think about it," Nao told them, starting to eat her salad.

"That's cool," a random guy said, a grin spreading across his face. The type of grin guys get when they imagine two girls together.

Nao shot Aoi a glare but sadly it had no effect for the brunette was deeply engrossed by the sweet things her boyfriend was saying to her.

"So," the guy with the ridiculously happy grin started. "Tell me about lesbianism."

Nao looked at him like he was an utter idiot. "You have to take a course to become one," she told him in a droll voice.

"That's great," he replied. "Tell me about that. I've never heard about it in excruciating detail."

Nao gave a disgusted huff and did not grace him with a reply. Instead she pretended to wave at a different table and left without a word. She didn't even bother addressing Aoi; she knew that the girl was too distracted by Hiroki to even notice her disappearance. She approached a table she hadn't sat at for a while. On it was a young black haired girl, a busty ginger girl, a thin brunette boy along with a stern looking girl with long green hair.

"Hey," Nao greeted them as she sat her table next to the dark haired girl.

"Nao! Hey!" The girl greeted her with much enthusiasm. "You haven't sat with us in a long time yup!"

"You know how it goes with the Student Council Mikoto," Nao told her. "Your brother's in it and it's extremely busy."

"What are you talking about? You're not even a part of it," the orange haired girl teased her.

"I'm around there enough to be considered a worthy member Mai," Nao grinned at her.

"You sit around whining until Aoi is ready to leave. You're more of a nuisance than a member," the green haired girl said.

"Come on Akira, have more faith in Nao," the brunette boy said to Akira.

"You haven't seen her there Takumi," Akira said. She was a member of the student council, one who played a small role yet she was there enough to witness Nao's whining. "Stop thinking the best of everyone before you know them!"

Nao laughed at their antics. "Ah, I love role reversal relationships," Nao sighed.

"Leave my little brother and his girlfriend alone," Mai joked. "You rile them up too much."

"Yup yup! Rile them up!" Mikoto repeated happily, pretty much agreeing with anything Mai said. She was snacking on the chocolate pudding stolen from Nao's lunch tray, unbeknownst to Nao.

"It's harmless teasing," Nao defended herself before noticing something. "Hey, where's your brainless boyfriend?"

Mai sighed before answering her, "Stop calling Yuuichi that. Between the Council and kendo, it's hard for him to find spare time at lunch."

"I say you dump him and find a girl at my party this weekend. You are coming right?"

"I'll have to request a day off from work but I'm sure it'll be no problem," Mai told her.

"Good. You too Akira?" Nao inquired.

"No," Akira said bluntly.

"What? Why not?" Nao frowned.

"I have plans," she said.

"Ah yes, we were planning on having a picnic but we can always reschedule," Takumi spoke up.

"You should go instead Takumi. It's more fitting."

"Aw Akira, stop picking on me," Takumi pouted.

"She's right," Nao said to Mai seen as though Takumi's girlish replies were making Akira bicker with him.

"Do not doubt my brother's sexuality please," Mai requested.

Nao giggled and looked down at her lunch tray only to notice all her food was gone.

"Hey wait a minute..." Nao whispered, looking at the first culprit she'd suspect.

Mikoto was sat innocently staring into space as if she had not noticed Nao's accusatory glare. The only thing which gave her away was the chocolate spread around her mouth.

"Mi-ko-to," Nao snarled darkly.

* * *

People wouldn't have thought it but the bubbly Mai was very observant. She was often in the sidelines of major events but because of her motherly concern, she paid extreme attention to every detail so she could figure out a way to help those in need. She was the friend you could rely on, a steady figure in your life you would be willing to go to with your problems.

So when she saw her stubborn friend Natsuki acting a little shady, she knew something was up and that something had to be done. She was not interfering at all; Natsuki was just the type of person who would bottle things up and never really sought out any help.

She knew that cornering Natsuki in a school full of people was not the best way to get the unyielding girl to open up so it had to be done afterschool. She sat on the wall next to where Natsuki's motorbike was concealed, knowing that Natsuki would surely come to that spot. Mai was quite popular with the students and had to blow them off, making up a phoney excuse to get away. Yuuichi had to stay after school anyway and Mikoto was a bit harder to rid of but in the end she confided in Reito, telling him about her plan which he approved and he took Mikoto off her hands for the day.

She did not have to wait long for the bluenette appeared just minutes after she arrived.

"Mai," Natsuki cautiously greeted her. "What's up?"

"Hey Natsuki," Mai said cheerfully, hopping off the wall and hugging her friend. "I just wanted to chat with you."

Natsuki blushed at the intimate contact and more so at the feel of Mai's well endowed breasts.

"About what?" Natsuki asked. She was still suspicious about Mai's sentiments.

"Just to catch up," Mai said innocently, adding more when she saw that Natsuki wasn't satisfied, "I need some help and advice."

"Okay," Natsuki finally relented. "Where do you want to talk?"

"Why don't you take me somewhere on your...bike?" Mai asked, uneasily pointing at the foliage of leaves where the motorcycle lay hidden.

"I'm surprised you didn't call my baby any hurtful names again," Natsuki chuckled as she moved to reveal the sleek blue motorcycle.

"Why would I call that beautiful piece of metal that?" Mai said sarcastically, glaring at the metal in question.

"Just get on," Natsuki laughed as she mounted the motorcycle, holding out her only helmet for Mai to wear.

Mai hesitated but still donned the helmet and straddled the motorbike, gripping Natsuki around the waist in a death grip that threatened to break her ribs. She had seen Natsuki's alarming driving skills and knew it would only be some time until she will meet a very unfortunate accident. All she could do for now was hope that her nagging will make her friend heed her words and drive with more care.

"Mai, ease up a little," Natsuki gasped.

"Sorry, but drive slowly this time okay?" Mai said, her voice muffled because of the helmet.

"Okay," Natsuki laughed, going at a speed that was still a little too fast for Mai.

The scenery and sidelines went speeding past, making it hard for Mai to decipher where they were. After a few minutes of looking at blurred colors, she found themselves stopping in an alleyway, a hidden entrance to a tucked away coffee shop.

"Come on," Natsuki beckoned, driving a hand through her windswept hair.

"Where are we?" Mai asked curiously, looking a little sceptically at the shop and the shabby surroundings.

"A place where we can talk privately," Natsuki told her, already leading her inside.

Mai took in the surprisingly clean setting and allowed herself to be steered into a booth off to the side. The small cafe was at a respectable size yet cosy enough to feel familiar. They ordered their beverages and Natsuki fixed Mai with an expectant look.

* * *

Shizuru concluded the after school meeting for the day after they repeated the cycle for the fifth time. There was a petty argument between the boys, which Haruka couldn't help but get involved in, and when their reasoning had begun to sound repetitive, it was time to put an end to it.

She strolled down the empty hallway; everyone else had gone their individual paths with their respective partners. Shizuru felt no isolation for she shared a dorm room with Haruka and could count on seeing her at dinner. Speaking of dinner, she cursed that it was her turn to cook and decided to take a quick shortcut to the store to get a couple of groceries which would be useful to make it. Most would be surprised to find that Haruka had the better culinary skills than the seemingly talented President.

Shizuru wandered away, recalling the day's events as she strolled at a leisurely pace and unknowingly smiled when her thoughts drifted to Natsuki. The things they did today were blush worthy and it excited the older girl to see the usually reserved Natsuki do such bold actions.

She was ripped out of her daydreaming by the sound of an oh-so-familiar voice. Curiously, she backtracked a few steps and peeked her head past a corner to look into an alleyway where she saw the familiar bluenette and her carrot haired friend alongside the bluenette's signature motorbike. She stepped into the narrow alleyway but stayed hidden so the two arguing friends would not notice her.

"What the hell is this Mai?" Natsuki said angrily. "I thought you needed actual help but you've only come to pester me."

Mai sighed with exasperation and stepped towards Natsuki, only to have her take a step back.

"Natsuki, you don't have to do your little rebel act to me," Mai explained to her, or at least tried to. "I'm your friend; I won't judge you or anything. You can tell me."

Natsuki actually growled, the action itself speaking volumes that she did not wish to speak.

"There's nothing to tell," she snarled, making Mai tremble slightly. "There is nothing going on between Shizuru Fujino and me!"

Truthfully, Shizuru expected Natsuki to deny their relationship but that did not mean that it didn't hurt. Natsuki was still oblivious to her secret lover's presence and continued her rant, adding in more facts that tore at Shizuru's heart.

"Natsuki, what are you gaining by keeping this a secret?" Mai asked.

"Nothing, I'm saving myself a whole load of hassle," Natsuki blurted out.

"Aha!" Mai exclaimed. "So there _is _a secret!"

"What? You tricked me!" Natsuki moaned. "Don't put words in my mouth."

"Now that I have the confession, doesn't it feel great to tell someone?"

"No. And that wasn't a confession."

"You aren't denying anything."

"Actually, I did and no, I'm not going to replay our conversation. I don't have time for that and neither do I have time for this!"

"Sure, you did deny it but only after you answered my questions. That alone speaks volumes."

Natsuki growled irritably and childishly stomped her foot on the floor. The action nearly made Shizuru giggle but she managed to suppress the urge.

"You're not a detective so don't analyse me like that," Natsuki said. "Now that we're done, do you want me to drop you off home?"

Mai crossed her arms and shook her head. "Not until you admit it," she requested.

"I'll leave you here then," Natsuki smirked, making a move to straddle her bike until Mai stopped her. "Oh, want to come?"

"God Natsuki, you're so stubborn," Mai sighed. "Whatever you're doing with the President will eventually come out into the open. I know you have your own reasons for hiding it but I don't understand why you can't tell _me._ Anyway, just know that you can tell me anything if you ever want to talk. I'll make my own way home, thanks."

As Mai walked away, Natsuki grabbed her forearm and pulled her back.

"No- I- You're right," she sighed, as if resigning to Mai's motherly power. "People will find out about Shizuru and me eventually so it can't hurt to admit that to you."

"Oh Natsuki," Mai cried and she hugged her friend. "You can trust me with anything."

"I know. Shizuru and I haven't really spoken about telling others."

Mai released the hug and much to Natsuki's embarrassment, held her hands instead.

"And there's not much to tell," Natsuki admitted to her. "I only told Shizuru that I liked her a few days ago."

"But you've known her for quite a while right- Wait a minute," Mai looked at her suspiciously. "_You_ told her that _you_ liked _her?"_

"Well yeah, she took it quite well," Natsuki smirked before faltering. "Don't you believe me?"

"No offence, but you are very dense."

"Hey, I resent that," Natsuki complained before backtracking her memories. "Well, there might have been a bit of pushing on Shizuru's part."

"I imagine so."

"I should really leave now," Natsuki told her. "Chie's probably starving at home."

"Okay, I'll see you at Nao's party right?" Mai inquired.

"Yeah. I'll bring Shizuru too."

"So soon?"

"Well, if it's okay with her then yeah. Might as well get this crap over and done with."

"Aww, it'll be cute. You're outing yourself with your girlfriend."

'_Girlfriend?'_ Natsuki thought. '_We haven't even gone on a date yet.'_

"Sure you don't want a ride home?"

"No, I need groceries anyway. Bye Natsuki and don't forget you can come to me with anything at any time of day."

"Okay then, see you later."

As Natsuki straddled her bike and Mai walked off, Shizuru wondered if she should present herself to Natsuki. She wasn't too sure because the same thoughts that drifted through Natsuki's head drifted through hers. That had established that they liked each other but had spoken no further on the subject.

Shizuru walked away from the scene and continued her task of shopping. Despite their undefined relationship, it still filled her with glee to hear Natsuki speak of her so freely. She smirked as she thought of the ways to reward Natsuki later.

* * *

When Natsuki arrived home in minutes, Chie was waiting expectantly for her.

"Another disappearing act!" Chie claimed. "And what were you doing this time? Talking with Mai again?"

"Yeah," Natsuki answered, tossing her keys to the side as she took a seat on the couch.

"Whatever," Chie said with disbelief before addressing another matter. "Don't get too comfy, we're going out."

Natsuki groaned and slouched further into the cushions. "No way. I've had a busy day," Natsuki complained. "I just wanna rest."

"Rest later, we need to go shopping."

"No, you _want_ to go shopping, not _need_ to go shopping."

"Mate, I've taken a look in your wardrobe and I think you need to go shopping more than me. You need something to wear for Nao's party, something new."

"Screw something new, I've got some nice shirts."

"Shirts you've worn to every other outing in the past. Come on, you need to dazzle and shine!" Chie exclaimed, even throwing in elaborate hand movements.

"I don't want to 'dazzle and shine'," Natsuki mocked her, copying her action.

"Don't you want to impress any girls? There'll be loads available 'cause I'm going after Aoi myself," Chie grinned somewhat conceitedly.

"I guess I could impress _someone_," Natsuki muttered to herself. "I'll come. Bus or bike?"

"I'm going on the bus," Chie said. "I'll never ride on that thing again after the last time."

"Okay, I'll set off in about twenty minutes so we'll get there together," Natsuki said.

"See you in a few."

Left to her own devices, Natsuki made sure that Chie was well out of sight before grabbing her cell phone and searching the contacts. She slapped her forehead when she realised that she hadn't asked for Shizuru's number or details. The only thing she knew of the girl was where her dorm resided.

Oh well, she could quickly make a stop before meeting Chie.

* * *

Despite, going somewhere beforehand, Natsuki still arrived to the allocated bus stop before Chie. Or at least she thought so until she heard someone call her name.

"Yo, sorry I'm late. I had to catch the bus to a later stop," Chie explained once she arrived.

"Why?" Natsuki questioned her.

Chie merely waved a small piece of paper in the air with _one of those_ grins on her face.

"Don't wanna know anymore," Natsuki scoffed and pushed herself off the pole she was leaning against. "Let's just get this over and done with."

"Fine fine, this will be quick," Chie reassured her as they headed into the busy shopping mall. "I was thinking we could match; black shirts, black trousers, black shoes but just different coloured tie. How sweet would that be? I'll wear white and you can have red."

Natsuki ignored most of the sentence and an elated grin spread across her face as she associated red with a certain person's eye colour.

"What the hell are you grinning for?" Chie interrupted her thoughts with a raised eyebrow.

"What? Nothing, _nothing_," Natsuki tried to convince her, adeptly changing the subject with, "We are not wearing the same clothes okay? Just help me find something cool looking; you know I can't deal with this."

"Of course, of course my socially impaired friend," Chie laughed, leading her to a shop.

They headed into a designer clothes shop, looked around and found items of clothing they liked. They then noted the price before moving off to another shop. In the end they would have a summary of potential retailers with price as the first priority. It was in a particular clothing shop, when Natsuki and Chie had split up momentarily, that Chie saw a familiar bed of red hair that was usually accompanied by brown.

Usually meaning normally she was there, but she wasn't there right now.

Chie looked around and after waiting a notable amount of time to make sure the girl was truly alone, she honed in. Feigning looking at the selection of clothing next her, Chie slowly edged her way closer until she was close enough to start an impromptu conversation.

"Hey Nao," she said smoothly, not looking at the girl as she held out a dress shirt to examine it. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Harada," Nao greeted the taller girl somewhat precariously. "What are you doing here?"

"Why so informal?" Chie pouted, dropping the shirt to face to the girl fully. "We've known each other for a good two or three years now."

"We don't know each other," Nao said bluntly. "I hardly think that three years of no communication with each other can say that we're friends."

"Ouch, you wound me," Chie said in jest, despite Nao's cold attitude. "I just wanted a little chat. Heard you had girl problems."

Nao turned towards the girl sharply. She knew whatever patch Miyu and she were going through wasn't that obvious so she deducted that the only way Chie found out was through Miyu. Was she _that_ hesitant?

"Oh yeah? How'd you figure that one out?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"C'mon, I'm Chie fucking Harada. I have eyes everywhere," Chie boasted, a sly knowing smile playing on her lips.

"Well Chie fucking Harada, if you are as good as you say then you'd already know the answer," Nao spat out, moving onto the next rack of clothing.

Chie laughed and followed her to the dresses. "Okay okay, don't worry your pretty little head about it," Chie smirked as Nao glared at her. "Miyu came to me with some concerns. A couple of questions about ya."

Nao ignored the bait... for about five seconds until it became too strong to deny. She dropped the pretence of looking at the clothes and turned to face Chie fully, crossing her arms.

"Fine then, tell me what she said," Nao demanded. She usually wouldn't ask so bluntly, it wasn't her style, but the severity of the situation didn't offer for any dilly dallying.

"I don't think I will," Chie said, turning away to hide her urge to laugh at the girl's indignant expression. "You've made it clear you don't want me here."

"Hey wait," Nao said, grabbing Chie by her shoulder and violently turning her around. "Don't just bait me with that and leave. Give me the info or else Aoi will hear some very disconcerting things about you."

"Yeah right," Chie scoffed. "You and I both know that Aoi so wants me. One move and I'll have her cute ass in my bed. She can't resist it."

Nao frowned at the disrespect towards her friend. "With what Aoi's been saying recently, I'd try harder if I were you," Nao snarled. "We're getting off topic here. Tell me what Miyu said."

Chie slyly smirked and tried to work herself into a little deal with Nao. "How about we swap something for something?" She propositioned.

"Are you forgetting whose party you're going to?" The petite girl laughed. "How about you tell me what Miyu said and I'll still let you in."

Chie realised that the girl had her and grimaced when she could only grudgingly go along with the webs she had weaved herself in.

"Ugh..." Chie moaned, rubbing a hand across her face. "I'll give you the watered down version. She's a little worried- okay, a lot worried that you'll love her and leave her. I hate to break it to ya but you kinda have a history of doing exactly that."

"Oh great..." Nao sighed. "Doesn't she think that I'll change for her?"

"I'm guessing: no," Chie answered, dragging the last word out. She then hummed thoughtfully. "Unless," she started, "You tell her that you will. Miyu ain't too perceptive in the subtle hints department, just tell it to her straight and she'll believe you. She already worships the ground you walk on."

Nao silently processed the thought in her head before abruptly laughing out loud. "Oh great, how low have I fallen to get dating advice from Chie fucking Harada?" She sniggered, patting Chie's shoulder patronisingly.

"Hey, I'm not just known for my hot body and handsome looks," Chie joked. "Nor my incredible abilities with my hands."

"Probably to compensate for something else," Nao remarked offhandedly.

"You didn't complain," Chie grinned lewdly.

"I was bitching about it afterwards," Nao smirked, enjoying their banter.

"Bitching? Don't you mean boasting?" Chie laughed. "Oh please, stop playing hard to get. It isn't your style."

"And you know what my style is?" Nao returned the jab.

Before more could be said, Natsuki approached them. At first she was loitering around when she saw them in conversation, giving them a little time to talk about what looked like a serious discussion but now she could clearly see the two joking around and felt that she wasn't interrupting anything important.

"Hey Nao. Chie you ready to leave?" She asked gazing at Nao with a bored look as the redhead glared at her. The two often had a history of conflict whenever they graced the teacher with being in the same class. It was unknown why they contradicted each other so much; there was doubt if Natsuki or Nao even knew the original reason why.

"Yeah, I'm just about done here. Catch you later Nao," Chie said as she and Natsuki turned to walk away.

"See ya. Don't forget to keep it in your pants Harada," Nao waved them off, walking away too.

Once they were a safe distance away, Natsuki glanced back only to see Nao distractedly sorting through clothes rack upon clothes rack with a frown marring her face.

"What was that about?" Natsuki asked casually as they entered yet another store.

"Girl drama," Chie commented, "With Miyu and her freaky attitude. Hopefully all sorted so that it doesn't overlook what's going to happen at the party."

Natsuki gave her friend a curious glance. "What's happening at the party?" She asked.

"That's where we put my plan into action my friend," Chie grinned triumphantly. "Hopefully we can end it in its final stages over there too."

Natsuki just let out a disgusted huff at Chie's crude words. "Whatever just don't forget which jockstrap will be knocking on your door if you succeed," she warned her.

Chie laughed the concerns off. "The dude is harmless." And with that, she and Natsuki walked off to another shop.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I would really like to say that this chapter was not out sooner because of school work and a busy life but then I'd be lying. Oh wait, I do have an excuse! I haven't been writing much because my laptop is dying. It has overheated at the charger port (the part where the nub goes in the laptop) and has all melted. Burning plastic ew. So I've had to tear it apart and make an impromptu charger and tie it up with duct tape. And now that has started melting too :c

Huge thanks to BloodThornChaos for beta-ing this and for reading whatever stuff I may have shown her. And thanks to the reviewers c:

I know there isn't an **omake**. That is because I couldn't think of anything sooo instead I have put my many skills of being an art and design student in practice and have created a piece of fanart.

http://i38 .tinypic. com /iemr0j .png

Just remove the spaces. LOL.

Chapter 4 has... not been created yet D:


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Mai HiME. If I did then I would have helluva lot more money in my bank account. (Poor me.)

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**High School**

* * *

Chie, with painstakingly slow deliberation, swept her hair into her desired hairstyle, making sure the ends flicked perfectly to give her that dashing look she sought. She rubbed a little more wax on her fingertips and proceeded to brush her fringe to the side so her eyes were clearly visible. A decision was made to forego wearing glasses because Chie thought it made her feature more pronounced. She still placed them inside her pocket in case she needed them.

She took a step away from the mirror and examined herself. Her crisp white shirt was left hanging out but was covered up with a smart black vest. She wore sleek black slacks which matched her black shoes and donned a pink tie, the same shade as the neatly tucked pink handkerchief in her vest pocket. Smoothing down her clothes, she stared at her reflection from various angles before approving it. Aoi, hell, _no-one _would be able to resist her tonight, whether they were intoxicated with alcohol or not. Appearance was everything right now and appearance will aid her in her conquest. Personality played a close second.

She left and entered her friend's room, finding Natsuki in a similar position that she was in only seconds ago.

"Nice, looking good," she commented, appreciating Natsuki's slender form.

The bluenette donned skinny dark jeans and an attractive graphics t-shirt on her upper body. Above that layer she had on a blazer which was formfitting enough to accentuate her lithe curves. Her ensemble although sounded informal looked quite stylish, at least stylish enough to wear to a party. Chie knew that she wouldn't be able to persuade Natsuki to dress any more formal, the girl was too stubborn to heed any of her advice and that was part of the reason why the two were friends. She would tire easily with someone she could push around.

"If you weren't my friend then you'd be on my list," Chie winked as she leant against the door frame.

Natsuki was unaffected by the innuendo after years of practice and drolly stated, "I have never been happier to be your friend right now."

Chie brushed off the common insult. "How are you getting there?" She asked, unconsciously toying with her tie. She would never admit that she could possibly be feeling any ounce of anxiety for the upcoming event; that would be undermining her own skill of seduction.

"Bike," Natsuki answered, spraying a dab of some miscellaneous perfume on her neck.

"You do realise that you'll mess your clothes up," Chie said, watching Natsuki fiddling around with some accessories.

"Really? Then how are you getting there?" Natsuki asked.

"Cab," Chie answered. "I'll let you come with me if you pay half the price."

Natsuki declined the offer. "Nah, I think I'll take the chance," she said quickly.

Chie frowned but didn't think about it anymore, or she didn't have the chance to because she heard the honking of the newly arrived taxi. She said goodbye to her friend, stating that she would see her at the party and left for the cab though the first stop wasn't the location of Nao's house. She was on her way to pick up a friend before the party; it wouldn't do to arrive at the party without anyone hanging off her arm.

They arrived at a set of apartment blocks so she told the cab driver to wait as she made her way inside to the correct room. Knocking on the door, she casually leaned against the doorframe and waited. The door opened to reveal the orange topped girl who wore a flattering ensemble.

Her orange shoulder length hair was too short to do any elaborate styles but it was curled slightly with the fringe pinned back to reveal her amorous lavender eyes. She wore an apricot coloured dress that only accentuated her eyes and displayed plenty of skin, yet covering enough to seem modest.

"Wow Mai, I must say you look fabulous," Chie greeted the girl once the door was opened. "Ready to be my date for the evening darling?"

"Thank you, you look dashing as ever. And date? You're just escorting me for you reputation," Mai laughed as she shut her apartment door behind her, latching onto Chie's outstretched arm. "It won't be long until I am left behind for a certain brunette."

"How can you think so negatively of me?" Chie mocked. "I'll stick around for a while. That way we can spread some rumours."

"That's so mean," Mai said, punching Chie lightly upon her arm. "And I thought you were genuinely interested in me."

"Of course I am, I always will be. I just thought you were unattainable," Chie baited her, waiting for her to bite.

"Why's that?" Mai asked curiously.

'Time for the flattery,_'_ Chie thought mentally, replying with, "For one, you're not the type of person I go for. I mean you're very attractive and have a godly body but you also have that air of a person you'd want to stay with for very long, you know? A person you'd want to commit to and I'm not looking for that. Two, well, you're currently dating someone and I respect your relationship because Yuuichi is a good guy. I mean, if he was a douche then I'd totally bring you over to this side. Three, actually there is no three. I would have had you by now if it wasn't for the aforementioned two."

"Wow," Mai uttered with the hints of a blush on her face. "That's pretty sweet except for the last part. Still, pretty sweet."

"Well, I try my best m'dear," Chie winked as they arrived at the cab, chivalrously holding open the door. "After you."

As soon as the two settled into the cab, Chie gave the driver the designated destination and engaged in light conversation with Mai for the duration of the ride.

* * *

Natsuki wiped her sweaty palms on her trouser leg and swallowed the large lump in her throat as she hesitantly raised her hand to knock on the imposing wooden door. She usually wasn't so nervous about these situations but this one was a little special. Once she had knocked, she took a large step back and gulped lungful of air as she tried to calm her racing heart.

She had to pick up Shizuru but not from her student dormitory. During weekends Shizuru visited her parent's home and Natsuki had to travel out of her way to the humble abode. That wasn't a problem for Natsuki. As corny as it sounded, she'd travel anywhere for Shizuru.

She heard footsteps, the lock as a key turned in it, the handle as it was pressed and then finally the door as it was pulled.

Natsuki faltered halfway into her smile when she was not greeted the image of a stunning Shizuru. Instead, she was facing an attractive older woman dressed in a kimono designed for evening lounging with her brown hair up in an elegant bun.

"Yes?" The woman asked, holding onto the door cautiously as she eyed Natsuki's attire.

"Uh, I-I'm here to pick up Shizuru," Natsuki told the woman.

"I see," the brunette visibly relaxed. "Name?"

"Oh, Natsuki Kuga," Natsuki introduced herself, cursing herself for forgetting her manners.

"Step inside Miss Kuga," the woman requested as she moved aside and bowed.

"Excuse me for the intrusion," Natsuki said as she walked passed and patiently waited for the older woman to lead.

"Follow me, Shizuru will be ready soon," the woman informed her, leading her to a formal sitting room. "You have arrived quite early."

Natsuki gingerly sat in one of the seats and nervously placed her hands on her lap, resisting the urge to fiddle with her fingers. The brunette took a place across from her and her cerulean eyes eyed her again.

"I am Katako Fujino, Shizuru's mother," the woman finally introduced herself. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Sh-Shizuru's mother?" Natsuki asked, struggling to keep her composure. "I-I mean it's nice to meet you too Mrs Fujino."

Natsuki prayed that she was looking calm because right now she was internally panicking. She couldn't stop herself from wondering if Shizuru would look like this later on in her life but immediately dispelled the lecherous thoughts out of respect for her new girlfriend. Or at least tried to.

"I wonder, what is your relationship with my daughter?" Katako asked rather bluntly that Natsuki nearly choked on her spit.

"E-E-Excuse me?" Natsuki managed to spit out, eyes wide with surprise.

"I asked, what is your-"

Thankfully she was interrupted by the arrival of Shizuru, which still left Natsuki somewhat unable to reply. The older girl was wearing a short skirt and a top which showed her alluring cleavage. Natsuki didn't pay attention to the details like colours and fabric; she was caught in the enchantment of the seductive, long legs and the soft, creamy skin that were exposed.

"Mother, I believe now is hardly the right time to interrogate Natsuki," she lightly admonished Katako. "Natsuki and I are late so we should make haste."

Katako didn't say anything in return but nodded once, standing up to show them to the door. She obviously viewed Shizuru's attire with distaste but didn't comment on it at all.

Once she was at the door, she opened it and bowed formally, mainly towards Natsuki.

"I hope you two have a nice evening. I would like to speak to you again Miss Kuga. Shizuru dear, will you be retiring here?" She asked.

"No mother, I'll return to my dorm," she said, clutching Natsuki's hand and beginning to leave. "Goodbye mother, have a nice evening."

"Goodbye Mrs Fujino," Natsuki hastily added as she was dragged away by Shizuru.

"Have a safe night," Katako called out as she shut the door.

Once they were a few yards away, Natsuki let out the nervous breath she was holding but once her eyes met with the rubies, she broke out into a fit of laughter, contradicted her earlier feelings. Shizuru watched her curiously, probably thinking that the brief encounter with her mother had left her insane.

"That was perhaps the scariest moment of my life," Natsuki said once her laughter had subsided. "It's too soon for me to be introducing myself to your parents. I haven't even taken you out on a date."

"Ara, you don't count our lunch time meetings as dates?" Shizuru teased the other girl, swinging their intertwined hands as they walked.

"We only met there like four times and it was fun," Natsuki smirked. "But I rather like not having to sneak off every time I have the urge to kiss you."

"This new publicity may be hard on our lives for a little while," Shizuru admitted.

"Yeah I know," Natsuki sighed. "But I'm glad with this final outcome."

"I'm glad too," Shizuru said happily, hugging Natsuki's arm against her chest and kissing her cheek softly.

"Yeah?

"Yeah."

* * *

Mai and Chie strolled through the front door, a good half hour after the party had started. Immediately they were hit with the bass that was pumping through the subwoofer, reverberating through just about anything. They noticed the alcohol was being consumed quickly, a red plastic cup in everyone's hand but they had been to enough parties to know that there were more than enough bottles to stop it from being completely depleted. The living room area had been cleared out to make an impromptu dance floor which was currently packed full to the brim and in the corner was a DJ booth where Mai's brother's girlfriend Akira was manning them expertly. The sliding glass doors revealed the back garden which included a patio that made the second impromptu dance floor, leaving the rest of the garden to become a make out area here several people were doing as the name suggests.

People stared at Chie and Mai as they walked through the hallway, Chie hollering to familiar people as she escorted Mai on her arm. Some of the stares were coated with envy but most were curious, no doubt leading to gossip once Chie and Mai passed the area.

"Want something to drink?" Chie shouted into Mai's ear so she was heard over the music.

"Yeah," Mai shouted back, allowing Chie to lead her into the kitchen.

Even in the ceramic coated room they were not free of the thumping bass but free enough to speak with only slightly raised voices.

"Don't worry, I know how you like it," Chie grinned as she filled a cup with ice and mixed two drinks into it.

"I hope you're still talking about the drink," Mai teased as she accepted the offered cup.

"You know, for a straight girl you sure as hell flirt a lot with me," Chie laughed, moving closer to be heard.

"What can I say? You're that good," Mai swooned with exaggeration.

"Whatever," Chie brushed her insult off with a chuckle.

Once the two finished their first drinks and had their second in hand, they left the kitchen in search of their friends. Mai had her eyes out for Nao and Aoi, the two being her closest friends here along with Chie and Natsuki whilst Chie had her eyes on every girl that came across her. She still had a certain brunette in mind but that did not mean she couldn't appreciate the female form.

"I swear you're drooling," Mai laughed into Chie's ear as she led her through the maze of bodies by hand.

"There are so many hotties here today," Chie replied, eyes lighting up as she trailed behind to shamelessly check some girls out. "It's a shame I've had most of them... I could go for another round though."

"You are such a whore Chie," Mai exclaimed, pulling Chie towards her and making her laugh. "I swear you need a steady girlfriend or just someone to tame your raging libido."

"Yeah right," Chie chuckled at the remark. "Although I wouldn't mind having Aoi for a while."

"So if Aoi were to settle with you then you'd stop whoring around?" Mai teased as she dragged Chie to another room when the hostess was not spotted.

"Yeah... no," Chie joked, before actually contemplating the question. "Well, with a girl like Aoi you want her to stick around right? You can't just move on as soon as you tap that, gotta' keep her around for a while."

"So crude," Mai remarked, either shaking her head at not finding Nao or at Chie's comment. "I wonder how you charm anyone with that mindset. After all, all I ever hear is endless gossip about how brilliant you are."

"Well sweetheart, if you allow me to lead you to the upper floors then I can show you how charming I can be," Chie suggest lewdly, snaking an arm around Mai's waist.

"Still don't see any of that charm I saw back at my place," Mai giggled, gingerly unwrapping Chie's arm from her. "It's like I'm being hit on by a horny old man."

"I'm hurt," Chie mocked. "So that's not your type? If you want heartfelt, romantic courting then why are you with Yuuichi?"

"I thought you said you liked him? Anyway, he can be romantic," Mai defended him. "Sometimes."

"Well babe, I can-"

Whatever Chie was going to say was cut off by Mai's hand covering her mouth. "Shut up Chie, I don't want to hear the sleaze that comes out of your mouth," Mai laughed. "Besides, we got the freaking hostess to find. Where is she?"

At the same time, Mai threw open the sliding doors that led to the back garden and revealed the person they were looking for. She was currently partaking in a heated make out session -but not with her cyan haired lover. No, it was her pink haired ex-lover currently seated firmly in her lap, arms all over one another.

"What the fu..." Chie trailed off upon sight of them, jaw hanging open.

Mai was a little more subtle in her surprise and called out to Nao. "Nao!" She yelled. "Hey! How are you? The party is great! Come with me for a second."

She then dragged Nao away from the pouting Shiho, bringing Chie along with her. She took them to a secluded corner of the garden, well, as secluded as a full blown party could get. Nao stumbled as Mai forcefully dragged her, the consumption of alcohol not helping her any. They seated Nao on a small stone wall in fear of her falling over.

"Where the hell is Miyu?" Chie asked harshly once they were out of earshot of other party-goers.

"Now now Chie baby. Don't get angry," Nao slurred, sloppily patting Chie's cheek. "Miyu and I are finished for all I care!"

"You broke up?" Mai asked her, surprised that they had given up on the relationship so easily.

"Yeah!" Nao exclaimed. "We're finished. If she doesn't wanna' be with me then Shiho will have me."

Chie and Mai shared a look. "But she wants to be with you," Chie told her. "She even asked me for advice. She really wants this."

"Sure didn't look like it from where I'm at," Nao growled angrily.

"Oh come on, it's Miyu. Of course she isn't going to say anything without a little prodding," Chie said, clearly exasperated.

"Well she doesn't wanna' prod me!" Nao moaned.

"Oh, that's gross," Mai said, her face scrunched up at the thought.

"No it isn't," Chie insisted before turning back to Nao. "This is getting old. Has Miyu ever said that she wants to break up? No. So stop assuming these things that aren't even true!"

"She's right Nao," Mai piped up. "She would say if she wanted a break up. You know Miyu doesn't beat around the bush."

Nao shot up suddenly, wobbling as she tried to maintain her balance. She sluggishly swiped away any hands that tried to help her, choosing instead to hold onto a growing tree that bent dangerously with her weight.

"Yeah well... Yeah... Well... Ah, shit..." She trailed off, tilting onto one side until she finally fell into a cluster of bushes.

"Oh crap," Chie cursed as she knelt next to Nao. "Hey- HEY! Don't fall asleep... Damn it, she's out."

She stood back up, next to Mai who looked at Nao with a motherly gaze.

"Shouldn't we put her somewhere else?" Mai asked with concern.

"You know what? I don't think we should," Chie said glaring at Nao's still form.

"Chie... They're both looking for some clarity, it's not their fault," Mai said positioning herself around Nao's legs. "Now you grab her by the arms and we'll take her to her room."

Chie grudgingly complied with her wishes and on three, they lifted up the petite girl's body with as much strength as they could muster. Even if she didn't weigh that much, the deadweight didn't help them at all.

"Damn it," Chie cursed as she struggled. "Freaking deadweight."

"Don't tell anyone about this," Mai warned her.

Chie stopped to stare incredulously at Mai. "Have some faith in me!" Chie exclaimed. "I won't spread any rumours about my _friend_."

"Okay, I'm sorry. Now move! My arms are about ready to drop off," Mai said as she repositioned the sagging Nao. She awkwardly readjusted Nao's skirt. "And I don't have the best view either."

"Then let's swap sides," Chie couldn't help but add with a cheeky grin. Mai merely glared at her in reply.

They made it past the first room full of dancing bodies with little collisions, somewhat surprising due to the lack of sobriety of some of the girls. It was in the second room where their arms grew tired so they threw Nao's body onto a newly vacated couch for a much needed break.

"My arms," Chie moaned as she gingerly stretched her arms.

Mai copied her motions, the two swinging their arms lightly to relieve the aches in them. It was in this state that Natsuki and Shizuru found them.

"Natsuki!" Chie exclaimed, surprised to see her with the President yet again. "And Shizuru. Suspicious but I won't question it yet."

"Chie," Natsuki dully greeted her before eying Nao's body that was sprawled out on the couch. "Hey Mai. What's going on here?"

"Natsuki, can you help Chie take Nao to her room?" Mai pleaded before addressing the other girl. "Hi President, how are you?"

"Please call me Shizuru, we are outside of school after all," Shizuru chuckled. She couldn't help but to smile honestly at the girl because she was the one who had urged Natsuki to take the steps to open up. "I am great thank you, how about you?"

Mai laughed. "As you can see a little stressed out," She motioned to Nao with her hand. "Nao drank so much that she ended up going back to Shiho."

"She broke up with Miyu?" Natsuki asked as they moved to take Nao up the staircase.

Shizuru took this chance to fully check out Natsuki's posterior, smiling with acceptance. The look was not missed on Chie and Mai, Mai smiling knowingly which left Chie curious.

"Something like that. She was a little vague," Chie said, walking backwards up the stairs, grinning cheekily. "Hey, no peeking now!"

Natsuki glared at her although there was a blush on her cheeks. Somewhere behind her, she felt Shizuru stare at the back of her head so she deliberately did not look anywhere in _that_ direction.

"Out of the way," Chie called out to those who obstructed their path as they ascended higher.

"Hey, you better not spread this around," Natsuki said suddenly, causing Chie to frown.

"What kind of person do you think I am? Of course I won't tell anyone," Chie said, though Natsuki still looked sceptical. "Oh come on, Miyu's my friend too."

They continued hauling her upwards until they were finally on the landing. The house was moderate in size because only Nao and her mother inhabited it yet there were still five or so bedrooms. They had to guess which bedroom belonged to the redhead.

"Someone quickly check which is hers," Chie said, ready to drop Nao.

But there was no need to search as one of the doors mysteriously opened to reveal the towering Miyu, looking as unemotional as ever. But when her eyes met Nao's body, her posture became a little stiffer than usual and the concern was clearly visible.

"What happened?" She asked straightaway.

"Don't worry, she just had too much to drink," Chie said, not wanting Miyu to attack her out of protection seen as though she was the closest in proximity to her. "Which one is her room? I'm about ready to drop her."

Miyu pointed to the one she just came out of before quickly moving to take Nao out of Chie's hands. Miyu and Natsuki moved Nao faster than Chie and Natsuki would have done, Chie obviously being the less fit one out of the two. In the redhead's bedroom, they placed her gently upon the queen-size bed, Miyu fluffing up her pillow to make it more comfortable for her.

"We should place a bucket or something next to her when she wakes up," Mai said, walking into the en-suite bathroom to search for the item.

"It is most probable that a bucket will be in the garden shed," Miyu said, brushing Nao's fringe out of her face as Mai left the room to search for it.

Natsuki almost felt rude to intrude on such a tender moment whereas Chie didn't really care because she was more interested with what the redhead had in her room. Natsuki forcefully nudged her, making Chie look at her, and indicated to Miyu with a nod of her head.

"What happened between you two? Nao was sure that the two of you had broken up," Chie said, stuffing her hands in her pocket as she leant against the drawers.

Shizuru didn't know any of the girls in the room, apart from Natsuki, well enough to feel comfortable for intruding in on a private conversation. Before Miyu could reply, she spoke up.

"I'm sure you would like to have this conversation privately, I'll be going downstairs," she said, walking towards the door. "Will you be joining me Natsuki or staying here with your friends?"

Natsuki knew Shizuru wouldn't mind if she stayed but she didn't even know the full story of what had happened so it was pointless for her to remain there. She also knew that Miyu wouldn't be bothered if she went or not.

"I'll come," she said, making Chie raise her eyebrows at her. "I'll see you guys later on, alright?"

And they both left, leaving Miyu, Chie and the sleeping Nao. There was silence. Miyu was pondering something deeply as she sat next to Nao whilst Chie waited until the brooding girl was ready to speak. The silence lasted only a few minutes and Mai had not arrived yet.

"It was a small argument that we had," Miyu began, "I put your advice into motion but Nao insists on depicting everything wrongly. I wasn't aware that she had thought we were no more, I was giving her time to cool down as is protocol for when she is angry."

All throughout the speech, Miyu's expression unwavered and Chie frowned at this. Usually it was hard to understand what the girl was feeling as Miyu kept her emotions behind a thick metal wall but the two had known each other for a while and Chie learnt that Miyu's odd pink eyes betrayed her emotions. Chie only had to give one glance to read her friend.

"She has the idea that you don't want to be with her," Chie said. "I guess the only thing you can do now is be blunt with her. I mean the problem shouldn't really have escalated this far. No-one is at fault but I guess that's what happens when you put two inexperienced people together. "

She was cut off from giving anymore advice by Mai re-entering the room with a bucket in hand. She placed it next to Nao and joined Miyu on the bed.

"Mai, what do you think should happen now?" Chie asked.

Mai pondered for a moment, obviously not wanting to give any bad advice. She wanted the best for the two and saw that they could find it in one another.

"I have a feeling Nao's not going to want to talk when she wakes up," Mai said gingerly. "But that's what you need to do. She's stubborn so you'll need to drill it into her head Miyu. Tell her that you like her in every way you can, constantly tell her until she accepts. Like I said to Chie, you're both looking for clarity here."

There was a pause as Miyu allowed the words to process. "I shall," Miyu said finally. "Thank you for the advice. You can leave to go enjoy the party; I shall look over Nao while she rests."

"Okay then," Chie said, straightening up to check out her reflection in Nao's mirror. "Well, shall we Mai?"

"Wait," Miyu called before they left. "I'd appreciate it if neither of you told anyone outside your group of friends about this."

They both promised their silence but Chie couldn't help but feel a niggling doubt that the comment was directed at her. She ignored it though, and left with Mai after saying goodbye to Miyu. They walked as far as to the lower level hallways before Mai stopped them.

"I'm going to leave you here, I need to speak with Natsuki," Mai shouted in her ear, giving her a quick hug goodbye and one word of advice, "don't forget that you need to be sweet with Aoi, not perverted!"

Chie was left in a room full of delicious girls and although she sent the majority of them flirty smiles, they were the last thing on her mind. She was looking for a certain brunette who had been mysteriously absent ever since she had arrived. The absence was abnormal because she was the best friend of the party fiend that was known as Nao so it was only natural that they would be attached at the hips.

"Now if I were a ravishing brunette at a party full of lesbians, where would I hide?" Chie murmured to herself, eyes scanning the rooms she passed.

She dodged the bodies that lay strewn across the floors in the hallways; the pounding bass and strobe lights not helping her concentrate any. She had to politely disengage herself from conversations too which took quite a bit of time and delayed her some more.

Every room she looked into had beds of brown hair but not that certain chestnut shade she was looking for. She made her way into the kitchen and out of the door that led into the garden and _voila_, the girl she had spent an age to look for was currently stood in the garden having a heated discussion, ironically with none other than Shiho Huit. Chie wondered if Shiho would end up being the new lost and found.

Chie turned her attention onto Aoi and if she weren't in a crowd full of girls, she would have whistled out loud. The girl had an impeccable dress sense and Chie had never appreciated it more than she did now. Not that she had much time to look her over though as Aoi had just taken a menacing step towards Shiho.

'Ah crap, this can't be good,' Chie thought as she pushed through the crowd of onlookers.

* * *

Natsuki was a little wary as she stood with Shizuru, an arm around her shoulders with Shizuru corresponding with an arm around her waist. It felt very artificial, to stand in such a position with drinks in hand and have people ogle at them. Perhaps it was the oddness of the couple because they both had contradicting personalities that should not go together with an ease or maybe it was because they both were known to have an 'unattainable' tag on them, neither girl having a history of lovers.

All the same, she didn't like being subjected to stares of varying degrees; envy, amazement, admiration and shock.

She removed her arm from Shizuru's shoulders, smiling apologetically at the questioning glance she received but redeeming herself by holding her hand instead.

"We should leave, I think your group of fans in the corner are planning an attack against me," Natsuki said, moving closer to be heard and using that as an excuse to stay close for a while. "I think we can find Mai or someone in the next room, let's stay away from Chie for a while."

"I do not have fans," Shizuru protested, putting her drink aside, stepping nearer to Natsuki and dropping her voice an octave lower. "When will Natsuki ask me to dance?" She then draped her arms around Natsuki's neck, staring at her intently, quite seductively Natsuki would add. Natsuki wondered when Shizuru wanted the same drink as her, and Natsuki was known to have a tolerance for strong drinks, she wondered if maybe she should have mixed something a little weaker.

"Dance?" Natsuki echoed. She glanced onto the dance floor where dancing was an excuse to have sex with clothes on and suddenly had the urge to run. "I don't dance, I _can't_ dance like that."

"Why not?" Shizuru pouted. "You should learn to not care about what others think. If we're happy then that's all that matter."

"I know that," Natsuki said defensively before whimpering slightly. "I can't dance like that, not in front of other people."

"Oh," Shizuru uttered in surprise. "So Natsuki is just being shy?" She had a fiendish gleam in her eye that Natsuki slightly feared due to past experience.

"No, Natsuki is not being shy. Natsuki just doesn't want to make a fool out of herself," she mocked.

"Its fine, its fine," Shizuru reassured her. "I'll teach you."

And when Shizuru pressed her body flush against Natsuki's and shoved a thigh between hers, Natsuki's thoughts on whether or not Shizuru might have had a little too much to drink drifted away from her as the pleasuring sensation of Shizuru's body swaying against hers overtook.

"Put your arms around me," Shizuru murmured against her ear. "A little lower."

And when Shizuru's hands ventured lower instead, Natsuki didn't have much of a desire to leave the room anymore.

* * *

Chie cautiously approached the scene, not knowing if the two raging girls would turn on her if she were to interrupt. She had enough experience of angry chicks and it was something she would only like to see again in a few cases, very few. She would admit that an angry Aoi was a sight to behold but now was neither the time nor place for that.

"Aoi, Shiho, I think you should do this somewhere a little more private, somewhere that's not in front of all this people," Chie shouted over the music.

"We're not doing anything," Aoi shouted back, her anger from Shiho projecting over to Chie. "I'm just having a normal conversation with this... this... Whore!"

"Woah," Chie uttered in amazement. "Okay, Shiho is like a little kid," she ignored Shiho's 'Hey!' and continued, "calling her a whore just seems wrong."

"Are you taking her side?" Aoi demanded, finally turning her fiery blue eyes towards Chie.

Chie held her hands up in surrender. "I'm not on anyone's side," she explained. "I don't even know what's going on."

"Then why are you here?" Aoi asked.

"The same reason as everyone else on this patio" Chie answered, motioning to the onlookers behind her.

"I have nothing to hide," Shiho stated proudly and in a mocking voice, "I pray that you don't embarrass yourself so shall we take this inside?"

Chie caught the sudden movement before it actually happened, she was aware of Aoi's uncharacteristic rage by her clenched fist and rather rude behaviour. If she had the chance to do so, Chie would pout at the dismissal of her presence.

So with those things in mind, Chie quickly scooped Aoi into her arms as the brunette lunged forwards, clearly intercepting her attack and hoisting her over her shoulder. She summarised that picking up a body like this was better, though not majorly so as she feared that Aoi would make her topple with all that squirming she did.

"Stop moving, you'll make me drop you," Chie warned as she clamped her hand onto Aoi's thigh.

"Put me down and get your hand off of there," Aoi demanded as she tried to thrash her legs out off Chie's grip.

The struggling nearly made Chie comply which her wishes, Aoi was certainly kneeing her hard enough in her stomach to persuade her, but Chie did not have a desire to see any of the girls humiliate themselves. She did not hold know Shiho very well, they only spoke to each other around Mai's company and even then Chie had a feeling that the pink haired girl was cursing her behind her back.

Mindful of the gazes they attracted, she hurried up the staircase and to the upper floors.

"Look Aoi, I'm going to put you down so don't hit me okay?" Chie said carefully.

She gripped Aoi around her waist and lowered her. But as soon as Aoi's feet touched the ground, she set upon attacking Chie with her puny fists. The futile attack could only be described as pathetic, the punches actually making Chie laugh.

"Stop, stop," Chie laughed, grabbing onto Aoi's wrists.

"No, let me go! I have unfinished business," Aoi said darkly, trying to free herself.

"Hold on," Chie said. "Don't you want to know about Nao?"

Aoi immediately stopped her struggling and focused her concerned eyes on Chie. Well that certainly got her attention on Chie but not in the way she had hoped. Chie was feeling a little neglected and deprived of Aoi's attention so she was ready to full on flirt with Aoi. First she had to get Aoi to dismiss Nao's welfare.

"What's happened to her? Is she okay?" Aoi questioned.

"She had far too many drinks than she can handle so she passed out," Chie explained. "She's asleep in her room, being watched over by Miyu."

Chie was about to lead the way but realised that even though she was up here minutes before, she couldn't remember which bedroom belonged to Nao. She wouldn't allow this to falter her plan, instead she used it to an advantage.

She slipped an arm around Aoi's waist and motioned forwards with the other. "Why don't you lead the way," she said courteously.

Aoi looked at her for a moment before slowly walking forward, not making an effort to remove the arm. "Are you sure you aren't just trying to get me in a bedroom alone?" She asked playfully and Chie internally cheered, it seemed that regular Aoi was back.

"As much as I would love that, no," Chie answered, adding in a lower tone, "though there will be plenty of time for that later."

Aoi just gave her a look as they stopped outside of a door. She knocked then entered and Chie reluctantly let her go, staying in the hallway. She leant against the opposite wall and crossed her arms, hoping to emit that cool aura that Natsuki did so effortlessly.

The recent turn of events and the overflow of Miyu and Nao drama had not gone in her favour. Although she did receive a few compliments from people about her appearance, they felt insignificant as she didn't receive them from the one she wanted it from. Her original plan had not been much of a plan to begin with, she was confident that her name alone would grab Aoi's attention but the girl had not really looked at her once. She was caught up in the drama that had escalated too far and it began to frustrate Chie a little. She rolled a lock of hair in her fingers and furrowed her brows as she thought of how much the drama had consumed her life in the past few days.

"You're looking strangely pensive," a voice comment and Chie shot her head up in surprise, only to see that Aoi had exited the room.

She quickly covered her exposed reaction with her usual smile and comment to fit. "'Strangely'?" She echoed. "I'd be insulted had you really meant that."

"But I did," Aoi said coyly, stepping forward.

"Really? Well you wound me so," Chie pouted, urging her closer by softly tugging on her slender hips. "However will you make it up to me?"

"I don't think I ought to," Aoi replied matter-of-factly. "If I recall you unnecessarily carried me in a brutish manner against my will."

"All with good reason," Chie reasoned. "To lead you to Nao. See, I'm a good guy."

Aoi rolled her eyes and disengaged herself from Chie's hold, walking away towards the stairs. "In that case I may have to forgive you," she said, looking over her shoulder at Chie.

And with her eyes heavily lidded, partially hiding those sultry brown eyes, Chie wondered if Aoi was purposely leading her on a chase or if she knew the effect she held over Chie.

"Nevertheless," Chie began, following her, "I think you should allow me to make it up to you-"

"No, no and no," Aoi interrupted her with a smile. "I don't think I'd like to take you up on any of your offers. Need I remind you that I have a boyfriend?"

Chie held her hands up innocently and moved in front of Aoi, stopping them both on the top of the stairs where the music became louder.

"You've misunderstood me," she shouted, moving closer to be heard. "I was going to ask whether or not you'd like me to fix you up a drink. Your boyfriend should not be concerned with that."

"I think he should be concerned about everything you do," Aoi teased. "I know what you want and you're only setting yourself up for heartbreak."

Chie laughed and began walking down the stairs. "I'll be the judge of that," she winked, taking her to the kitchen.

If entering the party with Mai on her arm would start rumours for the very next day, she could only imagine what she and Aoi arriving from the upper floors would begin. Being a major operator in the rumour mill had many perks than it did downfalls but she was not sure how her being discussed would affect her reputation. She hoped that there would not be any major repercussions and slightly regretted doing such flamboyant things.

"Name your poison," she requested once they reached the kitchen.

Aoi did so and Chie promptly set about mixing various drinks, with Aoi as her audience. She watched as Chie poured the drinks in without any difficulty, not needing to stop for measurements or anything like that. The ease in which Chie handled the bottles revealed that Chie had done this quite a number of times in the past. This was not surprising because even though Aoi had nothing to do with Chie for the past year or so, stories revolving around the dark haired charmer had reached her popular little clique.

"And here you go," Chie said, presenting her with a red cup.

Aoi thanked her and took a sip, gauging the taste of the drink.

"Well?" Chie urged with her own cup in hand.

"It tastes great," Aoi admitted but adding, "even though it's weaker than what I usually have."

"Weaker?" Chie echoed in disbelief. "Can you even handle anything stronger?"

Aoi punched her in the arm for that remark. "You hardly know anything about me," she summarised as she took a mouthful of the concoction.

"Let's remedy that," Chie announced. "Get to know each other. As friends."

Aoi looked a little doubtful at the last statement. "I'm sure you want more than that," she said.

Chie grinned. "You already know me so well," she joked. "I think these twenty questions will be a little one sided."

"I know you perfectly," Aoi continued her analysis, not really caring whether it was true or false. She just wanted to mess with Chie a little. Perhaps the alcohol, not the cup she had in her hand but the couple she had before she met Chie were messing with her head a little. "Your life revolves around sex, parties and girls. Possibly all three together."

"It seems that my reputation precedes me," Chie stated dryly. "But what do you really think? And try not to stereotype me so."

Aoi laughed and laid her hand upon Chie's arm, dragging her so they escaped the confinement of the house. She led her to a cluster of bushes, contemplating them for a second before charging through them, forcing Chie to sustain the painful twigs.

"Okay, ouch," she said pointedly. "Where are you taking me?"

"As you can see, this is Nao's garage," Aoi answered, pointing at the small establishment that sat in plain view of them. "It's practically a small house. No one should know about it and I can tell you what I think in privacy."

They both walked over to the side door. "Will Nao mind that I now known the location of this supposedly secret garage?" Chie asked.

Aoi rolled her eyes, something which she had been doing a lot in Chie's company, and pulled open the door. "I've had far too much drink to care," she revealed. "I can't remember how many I've had since I've come here."

"Wow, so you've been inebriated all this time?" Chie asked amazed.

"I haven't had _that_ much," she said, finally pulling the door open and stumbling in. "Come in."

Chie grinned and followed her, laying an arm around the brunette's shoulder which, surprisingly, wasn't shrugged off. It seemed that her conquest might be easier than she originally thought.

* * *

Nao groaned as a light pounding in her head began to grow stronger, becoming almost unbearable. She was about to massage her temples in hope to alleviate the anguish when all of a sudden, someone else's hands did what she sought out to do. Maybe it was the soothing they brought or the fact that the hands felt familiar, but she didn't react as she normally would have, which was a quick lesson to hurt the one who dare invade her privacy. Instead she welcomed the fingertips and visibly relaxed against the plush pillows.

"Nao," said a familiar voice that she couldn't place just yet. "Have a drink of this water."

She allowed the person to help her sit up and take in a mouthful of water. It was just what she needed as her mouth felt as horribly dry as cotton and her lips were chapped due to a lack of moisture.

"Miyu?" She croaked, squinting her eyes against the light of the room that wasn't helping any.

There was a click and Nao's headache was slightly alleviated once the glaring ceiling lights were off. She recognised her tall stoic lover against the moonlight and glanced questionably when something was offered to her.

"It'll get rid of your headache. It's a tablet," Miyu explained, dropping it into Nao's palm and handing her the glass.

"Thanks," Nao said gratefully, downing the pill in one go.

She lethargically stretched her body to relax against the pillows. She could hear the bass downstairs still pounding in time with the softened thumping in her head. It was rather annoying and she had the strongest desire to fall asleep but she knew that if the party was still happening then she had to be there.

"What time is it?" She asked as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"1:45," Miyu answered.

"So the party's far from over yet," Nao chuckled a she stood, or at least attempted to as she stumbled instead.

Miyu caught her with her quick reflexes before any harm could be done. She held her steady in her arms but did not release her yet.

"Are you sure you don't want to rest more?" Miyu asked with concern. It seemed that in the presence of Nao, Miyu was more vulnerable than anyone had ever seen her before, including Nao.

"I've missed some of the party, I don't think that I ought to miss anymore," Nao explained.

"We should at least talk," Miyu said seriously as she looked down at Nao.

"Tomorrow. Tomorrow when all this noise is over and after we've cleaned up. We'll truly be alone then," Nao promised, slightly jutting out her lower lip to further her conviction.

It seemed that Miyu had folded when she caught sight of the dangerous pout so she nodded curtly to show her consent. Nao grinned and placed a quick kiss upon Miyu's lips.

"Now I'm going to take a quick shower. I feel like shit," Nao said before grinning mischievously, "Would you like to join me?"

Miyu shook her head to indicate 'no'. "If I did that then it wouldn't be a quick shower so I shall wait for your arrival here," she answered.

Nao laughed heartedly and kissed Miyu once more before dancing off to the en-suite bathroom, her clothes thrown off along the way.

"Just concentrate on having fun tonight," Nao called out to her, the sound of water hitting the floor making her speak louder. "You won't be able to subdue your laughter when you see what Aoi's like when fully intoxicated. Everyone will have to fight off her advances."

"In any case, Chie's going to enjoy that," Miyu commented, laying on the bed and looking towards the bathroom door where the light seeped through the small opening.

"Hell no," Nao objected. "Those two will not be going anyway near each other tonight. Make sure Chie stays away from Aoi alright?"

Miyu was ready to agree with anything Nao requested but then remembered that she had promised to make sure that Chie was held in high regards.

"Chie would not take advantage over Aoi," Miyu said though she was not too sure on that. She prayed that her friend had enough sense to not do so or else Miyu would have Nao on her back.

"Don't defend her. I spoke with her the other day and I quote what she said about Aoi, 'I'd like to tap that ass.' Can you believe she said that?" Nao said, the pattering of the shower no longer audible. "If she wants Aoi then why would she make a comment like that right in front of me?"

Miyu shrugged, forgetting that Nao couldn't see her. "You've said many times in the past that Aoi needs a girl. Perhaps this is where Chie could be useful?" Miyu proposed.

"Are you out of your mind?" Nao said, walking out wrapped in a small cream towel. "I want Aoi to get hooked on girls. Chie will use her then thrown her away once she's satisfied. Can you imagine the emotional aftermath we'll get?"

Miyu blushed and Nao caught sight of it, cheekily dropping her towel to bare all to Miyu. Miyu turned away to face the wall instead and Nao giggled, walking over to her wardrobe.

"Chie is not as horrendous as you depict her so," Miyu said. "Maybe you should allow Aoi to choose what she prefers without influencing her. The fact that she is in a committed relationship should not deter her path."

"A committed relationship with a douche bag," Nao muttered, grabbing some fresh clothes out of her wardrobe. "I hope she leaves him for a girl. What a blow to his pride that will be."

'Does she condone cheating?' Miyu wondered. She said nothing and allowed Nao to rant a little, which meant that she did not have to pay attention to what was being said.

"Okay I'm done," Nao announced, much closer than she was before. She leant over Miyu and gave her a chaste kiss. "What are you thinking about so hard?"

"Nothing," Miyu said, allowing Nao to kiss her one more time before getting up. "Your hair?" She questioned as she held a damp lock between her fingers.

"It'll dry," Nao replied, taking Miyu's hands and pulling her along. "Blow drying it will just waste time."

"Okay then," Miyu said as she was dragged out of the room.

Nao moved one arm so it draped over her should and kissed the underside of Miyu's chin as they strolled down the hallway.

"Don't forget: relax now, speak later," Nao reminded her.

Miyu nodded and with that the two walked into the heart of the party.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, this chapter has been torture for me. Not gonna' explain myself so if you see any inconsistencies in the story, then I apologise.

This has not been beta'ed because my beta is busy so I thought I'd just throw this out here before I forget about it... again.

Thanks to the readers, the reviewers and... well that covers everyone, doesn't it?

P.S Chapter 5 has hit a roadblock, Halo 3 is looking more interesting at the moment :3


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Mai Hime. If I did, Mikoto would have- No wait, this is not a hatefic.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**High School**

* * *

Bodies lay strewn across the floor in Nao's garage. There were a total of seven figures scattered on the sofas and floor. All were soundly asleep, still wearing the clothes from the night before which was troublesome for those who wore tight fitting attire. It was fortunate that they would not notice the discomfort when they slept because they were far too gone in their inebriation.

Miyu was the first to wake, unsurprisingly not suffering from the aftermath of too much alcohol. She was lying on the plush sofa with Nao by her side. Or at least she was supposed to be by her side but it seemed that instead the petite girl was half falling off the sofa, the only thing keeping her from meeting her demise with the floor was a leg propped up by the coffee table.

Miyu sat up slowly without stirring Nao and quickly flipped over Nao's body to cradle her in her arms. She tried as gently as she could to place her comfortably on the couch but her tender touches still managed to awaken Nao, making her the second to arise that morning.

"Oh God, my head," Nao groaned, pulling Miyu closer once she felt her try to move away. Miyu fell on top off Nao but Nao pushed her to the side so they were nestled comfortable in one another's arms, Nao in between the sofa and Miyu. "Let's sleep s'more," she mumbled drowsily.

"We should start straightening up soon," Miyu said even though she tightened her hold. "We only have a few hours left until the arrival of Himeko."

Nao giggled into Miyu's neck. "I can't believe you call her that," she mumbled.

"She did state that I should do so," Miyu replied.

"Yeah but everyone still calls her 'Miss Yuuki,'" Nao said. "I think she admires your balls."

"I have no such thing," Miyu said so seriously that Nao cracked up.

Due to her laughter, she had aroused one other occupant who blearily said something unintelligible before returning back to slumber land again.

"Who was that?" Nao asked, leaning over Miyu, eyebrows raising once she saw the state of the others. "How the hell did we all get in here?"

"You don't recall?" Miyu wondered.

"All I remember is seeing the drinks then my mind lost all inhibition. That and dancing with you which was very sexy babe," Nao cooed as Miyu blushed, presumably at the memory. "I don't even remember how I got to my bedroom last night."

"I'll explain everything once we talk later," Miyu reminded her.

"I didn't forget," Nao sighed. "In any case, if you want that talk sooner than later then we should wake the others and get them to help us clean up."

Miyu made to get up but wasn't successful because Nao immediately pushed her back down with a hand at her chest. Miyu looked up at her but saw that the olive green eyes weren't on her. Instead, they were staring rather comically at something behind her so Miyu turned around to look at the scene which left Nao dumbfounded. The scene didn't evoke such a strong reaction but it was enough to make her raise an eyebrow.

"Just what the hell happened last night?"

* * *

Akira Okuzaki snuggled into the warmth of the cushioned bed with its huge accompanying comforter. The smell of fresh linen was very pleasant and indicated that these sheets had not been used since they were washed. She didn't mind it; it was a very welcomed revelation.

Akira pushed away the comforter and swung her legs over the bed, slipping her feet into new furry slippers. She stretched out any kinks she may have gotten from the short amount of sleep she had and strode to the en-suite bathroom, only sparing a glance at the bedroom door to make sure it was still locked.

The bathroom was modest sized and not very extravagant, only holding the necessary appliances usually used in a bathroom. There were untouched soaps and shampoos and the highly needed toothbrush and toothpaste. Akira turned on the shower and rid herself of the plain blue pyjamas she had found, hopping into the shower once the water had warmed up.

It was at times like these that Akira got to dwell on the things in her life that needed to be dwelled upon. Because she was in Nao's home using her guest bedroom and en suite and even her towels, the situation made it feel appropriate to ponder about the fiery redhead.

She had met her through Mai because Mai was the type of person who would befriend just about every person in their school. Well, the main reason she met Nao was because Mai had a very strange (and sometimes worrying) complex about Takumi so that whenever Arika wanted to spend time with Takumi, it was always her, Takumi, Mai _and_ whoever else Mai had brought over. It was at their first meeting that Akira and Nao ended up forming their love-hate relationship. But hate was a strong word; Akira didn't hate the older girl. She found her annoying, a tease, blatantly rude and very unbearable but nope, she didn't hate her. Nao was just the type of person you formed love-hate relationships with.

Even though Akira had originally composed a negative opinion of Nao, after they hung out for a while Akira began to grow respect for her and find attributes she thought the redhead wouldn't possess. This resulted in a close connection with someone who was as unlikely to befriend her as a dead cat. That still didn't mean that she liked her.

Arika was done with her shower quickly and exited the cubicle, picking up a soft white towel to dry herself. She drearily eyed her clothes at where they sat neatly folded on the closed toilet lid. She had to wear the same apparel from yesterday and the thought made her cringe a little.

She stepped into the hallway and sighed when she saw a couple of bodies laid in a comatose state. Apparently when the host wasn't present for the majority of the early morning then that meant they were safe to slumber there.

Akira decided it wasn't in her job description to kick them out.

So without further adieu, she stepped over the bodies, carelessly stepping on some and made her way out of the trashed house towards her own home.

'I may respect her but like hell am I going to help that whore.'

* * *

Chie, Natsuki, Mai, Shizuru, Aoi, Miyu and Nao now stood in a wayward circle, each face holding a different expression. Each girl looked slightly haggard as the repercussions of the late night and early morning caught up to them. There was not one unwrinkled clothing in sight and their hair was more than messy. The awkward moment only lasted a couple of minutes before Mai broke it by clearing a throat.

"Okay, I know we're all wondering why we woke up like that and why Nao's not wearing anything underneath that shirt," Mai began, everyone turning to look at Nao's chest making her fold her arms over it. "But I think we should begin with clearing up before starting the inquisition."

"Before all that, I need to do something about this killer headache and fuzzy taste in my mouth," Chie spoke up.

"So we'll chuck some paracetamol in you then we're on our way, good!" Mai exclaimed, happily clapping her hands.

"Aww, I was hoping we could eat something," Chie muttered to Natsuki as Miyu presumably went off to fetch water and tablets.

Everyone took a seat and waited for Miyu who returned with a tray of glasses, a sachet of pills accompanied by an almost unnoticeable furrow of the brow.

"What's up babe?" Nao asked, accepting a glass and popping a pill.

"There are a few people who have not left and have taken to slumbering on any surface available," Miyu told her.

Nao cursed and stood up. "Crap, I guess I have to kick them out. Bitches think they can stay when I'm not in sight," she sighed, running a hand through her unruly hair. "You guys start with cleaning this den. We're going to have to restock my mom's second bar too... after you guys rinsed it out."

Natsuki looked at her incredulously. "'Us?' _You're_ the one who drank most of it," she corrected. "You opened the fridge first too."

"Hey, I wasn't pointing fingers," Nao scowled at her. "I'm just saying: my house, my alcohol and six strangers in my home drink my private alcohol. See whose fault it is? A hundred litres of alcohol consumption versus one of me, six of you."

"I hardly think we're strangers," Mai said. "I've seen you naked, Miyu's your girlfriend and Aoi's your bestfriend. If that's a stranger in your books then what have we got to do to be your friend?"

The comment made Nao to roll her eyes and a sarcastic reply was ready to be ejected out of the redhead's mouth like volatile diarrhoea but Aoi got a word in first.

"Shut up Nao. I have a huge headache and your nasally voice isn't helping it any," she snapped, hands drawn on her hips. "Go into the main house and do what you do best and I do not mean giving head."

Chie couldn't help it; a snicker escaped her which only made the brunette turn on her. At this coincidental moment Nao sullenly sulked away, taking Miyu with her.

"We're just going to clean over here," Mai interjected, bringing Shizuru and Natsuki away to grant the two privacy.

"Don't think you're getting away with groping me," Aoi said sternly.

"Uh, groping is such an ugly word. I mean it's not like I planned for my hand to go there... I guess it's just went there of its own accord. The lucky devil."

If it was possible, Aoi's face contorted into more of a scowl. Chie bit back any other playful replies she had ready to fire, it seemed that any joking around would gain a scathing counterpart.

'Okay, maybe not the best thing to say,' Chie thought.

"You're lucky I didn't tear that hand right off," Aoi said, jabbing a finger into Chie's chest.

"I'm sorry," Chie said, trying to earn a reprieve. "I don't have full control over my body when I'm asleep."

Aoi glared at her but knew she couldn't say much to that. "Okay," Aoi just said, turning away to clear the counter top.

"Honestly," Chie added, walking around Aoi so they were face to face again. "I thought it would be better to laugh it off to make it less awkward so I'm sorry if I came off as a jackass."

Aoi sighed before smiling a little, dropping the bottles she had in her hands. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just freaked out when I woke up."

"It's okay," Chie grinned. "Let's forget about it?"

"Yeah," Aoi said gratefully.

Then, out of nowhere, Aoi stepping closer and wrapped her arms around Chie. Before Chie had the time to savour the feeling, Aoi was done and turned away to clean up. Stunned, Chie turned to the corner where she knew Mai was eavesdropping and received a happy thumbs up from the girl.

Shrugging, Chie turned away and helped Aoi clear up. The satisfied smile on her face stayed on all morning.

* * *

It took a couple of hours but finally Nao's house was clean, cleaner than it was before the party. The seven girls lounged in the living room, each one tuckered out by the strenuous purging task set upon them.

"This calls for a celebration," Chie announced.

She was sat on the carpeted floor, reclining against a leather sofa where Aoi and Mai sat. Parallel to them was another sofa where Nao was cuddling up to Miyu. On the final sofa, Natsuki sat with her arm across the back of sofa with Shizuru comfortably settling into her. The sofas were placed to make a three sided sofa square, all facing a large plasma TV.

"Hopefully a celebratory slice of pizza," Aoi offered, face scrunching up at the thought of alcohol.

"If it's on you, yeah," Chie agreed. "I don't have any money."

They mumbled their agreement. All attendees apart from Nao had not brought any money with them.

"Why don't you cook for us Mai? I'm sure we have enough shit in the kitchen," Nao suggested.

Everyone else, again, mumbled their agreement and Mai scowled. As much as she loved her friends and the joys of cooking, the idea of cooking after a tiring cleaning session was not appealing.

"Why don't you hire a maid so you don't have to order your friends around?" Mai quipped back, the playful glint in her eyes showed that she was anything but angry.

"Why hire a maid when you _can_ order your friends around?" Natsuki interjected with a sly smile.

"Oh, that's so cold," Chie laughed. "Gingers do have souls."

"Shut up Chie, you nerd," Aoi said.

"Ouch, now _that's_ cold. I have to keep up with pop culture my friend," Chie defended herself.

"Who cares about your stupid life," Nao interjected brutally. "What are we doing about food?"

Chie pouted but was ignored as the topic swiftly changed back to breakfast. Several ideas were suggested and a final outcome was decided though Nao's repetitive suggestion of 'go home' was duly ignored. Once fed and thoroughly satisfied, the girls save for Nao left for their own homes.

* * *

In the confines of her own living room, Chie laid reclined on the sofa as she flicked through the channels of her TV. After bumming a ride off of Miyu, she showered, dressed in some grey sweatpants and a black wife beater and patiently waited for Natsuki to arrive home from dropping Shizuru off. She was patiently waiting by impatiently switching the channel every second or so.

She was relieved from her anticipation when she heard a key turning in the door. She straightened up on the couch and looked as nonchalant as she could. This was a chance to question Natsuki while she was at her most vulnerable: tired and yielding to anything after a tiring day.

"Yo Natsuki," she greeted her as she folded a leg beneath her. "What took you so long?"

Natsuki sank down next to her and sprawled her body out comfortably. "Hey. Just, y'know, we decided to chill for a bit," Natsuki answered, fixing her gaze on the marketing programme that was on.

"'Chill'," Chie repeated, raising her eyebrows at Natsuki. "I'm sure."

Natsuki rolled her eyes and chose the only subject she knew that would successfully divert Chie's attention: Aoi. "So what's up with you and Aoi?" She asked.

Chie's eyes light up with excitement. "Dude, she was all over me," she said, getting into the topic. "What happened this morning just solidifies what she felt for me."

"And it has nothing to do with the copious amount of alcohol she consumed right?" Natsuki added with poorly veiled sarcasm.

"No, not at all," Chie said, shrugging her shoulders. "The girl's a tease."

"Aren't they all?" Natsuki muttered as she got up to get herself a drink.

"She was saying no but her actions told me a different thing," Chie called after her. "Hey, get me one too."

"She was pissed with you this morning. I mean really, _really_ pissed," Natsuki said from the kitchen.

Chie laughed rather than feel worried at that. She ran a hand through her damp charcoal bed of hair as she tried to recall what got Aoi so angry.

"She's in a battle with her sexuality," Chie said. Well, it sounded like a logical explanation to her. "She has a jockstrap boyfriend who's supposed to be the dream guy when all of a sudden, the hot girl she's had less than ethical feelings for initiates contact with her and brings up all these strange emotions in her. You know, such as lust. She's fighting it in the only way that seems plausible, anger."

"Riiight, I'm sure her anger has nothing to do with where your hand crept up this morning," Natsuki drawled as came back with two glasses and handed one to Chie. She didn't sit back down in her previous place, instead she starting walking off to the bathroom.

"I'm taking a quick shower. God, I still have yesterday's stench on me," Natsuki explained.

"Alright then," Chie said, settling into place before quickly turning her head to Natsuki. "Hey wait a second, what about you and Shizuru!"

The bathroom door slammed shut and the lock snapped into place. "Shower!" Natsuki sang out from the depths of porcelain walls.

"It's not over yet," Chie reminded her, giving up with the interrogation for now. "You'll spill."

With Natsuki not there to entertain her, there was nothing significant left to do. The TV programmes were too drab for her tastes and there was nothing important on her agenda for the rest of the day unless you counted homework but that was something Chie was not willing to start right away.

Suddenly, something occurred to her. She had not checked her phone since coming back from Nao's house. She hurried to her room and scavenged through the pile of clothes she left on the floor. She found it lying under her discarded shirt and hastily flipped it open, immediately going down the familiar path to the image gallery. Hammered or not, she would have still got her phone out at the party as if it was a natural instinct.

And just like she thought, there in her gallery were well over a hundred images saved. Grinning, she laid on her bed as she scrolled through them, laughing at a few and deleting the blurred ones.

She laughed hard at some of the antics her circle of friends got up to. Mai stuffing a whole slice of pizza in her mouth, Aoi and Nao with arms around each other and grinning into the camera, Mai smiling cutely, Natsuki shying away from the camera by hiding in the crook of Shizuru's neck, Mai waving at the camera while she stood next to Miyu, Chie herself smirking coolly with her arm around Aoi, Mai holding a microphone in her hand...

"Mai, you camera-whore," Chie mumbled as Mai clearly dominated the next group of images. It was a while until she got onto the scandalously good photos, the part where everyone had enough alcohol to cloud their judgement.

'Didn't expect that.' She came across a picture of two people who were unlikely to make out.

'Oh Natsuki, you sly dog,' Chie thought as she grinned roguishly at one picture in particular.

The girl in question finished her business in the bathroom and exited it, unaware that she should expect a barrage of questions from her friend.

* * *

Miyu wiped a trickle of sweat from her forehead as she fell back onto the large soft bed. She collapsed on the spongy mattress and the blue silk sheets felt cool against her flushed skin. Her heart was beating an unpredictable pattern in her chest that she had no control over, a feeling that was only familiar when she was with one certain person.

"That was great," Nao purred as she fell next to her.

Miyu turned her head to the left to look at her. Nao had a delicate arm on her forehead shielding those sparkling hazel eyes from view. Her plump pink lips were slightly open to allow her laboured breathes to escape. Her legs were half intertwined with Miyu's own legs, the friction of skin feeling soft and supple.

"You're great," Miyu said brainlessly, her thoughts scrambled due to the mind numbing activity that had just transpired.

Nao grinned, allowing her delicate pink tongue to dart out and lick her lips. She then turned towards Miyu so they were nose to nose and tauntingly trailed a seductively slow finger around her jaw line. Their eyes met in a clash of coral against olive green and Nao softly placed her lips upon Miyu's.

"Mmm," Nao moaned into the kiss as the pressure increased. She pulled herself flush against Miyu and tantalizingly lowered her hand.

"Nao wait," Miyu started, trying to ignore how good Nao's kisses felt on her neck.

"Whaaaat?" Nao whined cutely, lingering on each kiss.

"We were supposed to talk," Miyu tried to explain, finding it harder and harder to resist Nao's ministrations.

"You'd rather talk than do this?" Nao questioned her, making a point by straddling Miyu's firm body. She ran her hands around her body, making Miyu almost give in to her request.

"No but we need to," Miyu finally said, tugging on Nao's hips until she came off her perch. "This is long overdue."

Nao sighed loudly to show that she wasn't happy with the interruption but that did not deter Miyu.

"Okay, I'm all ears," Nao said, pulling up the duvet to cover their bare bodies.

Miyu looked at her with a steely gaze and gathered all of her resolve. She opened her mouth to speak.

* * *

Mai groaned as she stretched her aching arm. After arriving from Nao's home earlier on, she worked solidly on her homework for a few more hours until having completing everything and found herself having nothing to do. Her dorm room was squeaky clean and the other inhabitant known as Mikoto was currently out doing God knows what. So with all this in mind, Mai was left with no tasks that needed doing.

She did not fancy sitting at home for the rest of the day and Yuuichi was not available yet again so she scrolled through her phone contact list. There were quite a few people she could have called, she wasn't a shy girl and had a number of friends who would kill to hang out with her.

She went past a couple of names until she got to one of her favourite freshmen. She hit the call button and waited for it to picked up.

"Hey Arika, it's me Mai," she greeted her. She got an enthusiastic reply back which made her smile fondly. "I'm fine. I was just wondering if you're free right now, I found the cutest little diner we could enjoy."

She listened to Arika babble on for a while before cutting her off gently. "I'll come to your room in about thirty minutes and by all means drag Nina along if she's there," Mai said. "The more the merrier."

* * *

"For the last time no," Natsuki said agitatedly.

Chie had been bothering her non-stop about her getting together with Shizuru. Natsuki knew to expect questions from people because Shizuru _did_ have a relatively well known reputation. She was the undisputed ideal girl, everyone had their eye on her so there were all bound to be speaking about her and Natsuki's relationship. It was only natural that Chie, connoisseur of gossip-mongering, would want answers.

"Come on, tell me how you scored," Chie pleaded, her hands clutched in front of her. "How the heck did you get fine Fujino?"

Natsuki turned away from her friend and angrily grit her teeth. She had to remind herself why she was friends with Chie in the first place to refrain from hitting her.

'We're good friends. We have a history. We're good friends. We have a history,' she reminded herself, repeating it like a mantra in her head.

"I did not employ any techniques to 'score' her," she answered, adding sarcastic quote marks with her fingers. "I spoke to her and was honest about my feelings. Turns out it was mutual and voila."

Chie stared at her for a while as if she couldn't quite believe what was said before uttering a small, "wow." It wasn't a mocking 'wow' but Natsuki couldn't help but feel some anger at the disbelief.

"Are you serious?" Chie asked with one an eyebrow raised.

"Yes Chie. Believe it or not, I actually spoke to her. I didn't have to use any cheesy lines or slip something into her drink to get her to be my girlfriend unlike a couple of douchebags I know. We just spoke to one another," Natsuki said, not realising that she had raised her voice until Chie held her hands up in front of her, showing her palms as if to calm her down.

"Hey Nat, that was a little too far," Chie said with a frown. "Chill out, why are you so touchy?"

"I'm sorry," Natsuki apologised, rubbing at her temples with a hand. "I'm just dreading tomorrow. Who knows what kind of shit is going to go down."

Chie got close enough as she dared so that she could lay a reassuring hand onto Natsuki's shoulder. "Why do you care so much anyway?" Chie asked. "Just give them one of your badass don't-mess-with-me glares and they'll know to stay away."

Natsuki chuckled a little and felt some of the tension dissipate. "When has that ever worked?" Natsuki said, rolling her eyes. "It's not me I'm worried about."

"I'm sure your girl can handle the attention," Chie reassured her. "She's always in the spotlight so she probably knows a hundred ways to say 'fuck off' politely."

Natsuki laughed harder. When Chie put it so eloquently, it did seem that Natsuki was worrying over nothing. Shizuru probably dealt with many different types of people every day; she could easily answer any prodding questions coolly, especially ones from jealous admirers or gossiping fan girls. Though if the attention did not leave then maybe a few shoves from Natsuki would settle that.

"Man, if all 'meaningful' relationships are like this then I'll choose to opt out," Chie teased.

"You should try it, it'll do you some good," Natsuki said before realising something. Eagerly, she leant towards Chie. "Wait... you mean to say that you've not given up the idea altogether?"

"Woah easy there," Chie laughed, pushing Natsuki back a little. "I might give it a try but least of all with you so don't get your hopes up."

"One could only hope," Natsuki joked. "I'm just waiting for the end of your little one night stands that stay till morning and eat _my_ share of the food."

Chie had the nerve to rub the back of her head sheepishly. "I try to get them to stop doing that. Oh well, I don't bring girls around that often," Chie said before glancing at the wall clock. "Speaking of food, its 7 o'clock. Want to eat in or out?"

Natsuki sent a searching hand over the armrest of the couch, searching for her empty piece of leather known as her wallet. She sighed at the lack of paper in it and threw it back on the side table.

"Haven't we got anything in the kitchen?" Natsuki asked instead.

"Nope," Chie solemnly shook her head. "We're all out unless you wanna' eat some rice breads by themselves. The stores close early today too."

"Ah, damn. Guess we're eating out unless you've got a couple of extra quid for delivery," Natsuki decided, getting out of her seat to stretch her weary bones.

"I'm out of cash. Dinner's going to have to be on you," Chie admitted.

Natsuki stared at her incredulously. "I don't get paid till tomorrow, what's your excuse?" She asked.

"I may have overspent this week..." Chie trailed off. "But...I'llgogetchangedbye!"

She hurriedly dashed into her room leaving Natsuki to sigh after her. It wasn't the first time she had to pay for something for Chie and it was probably not the last either.

* * *

Mai grinned behind her menu. The turnout for her adorable freshmen was better than expected. She got Arika Yumemiya, as predicted; Nina Wang, who she doubted would actually come along and Erstin Ho, who was a slight surprise. All she needed was one Mashiro Windbloom to complete the collection.

"Wow, the food looks real tasty here," Arika exclaimed as she observed the pictures on the menu. "Real delicious..."

"Wait till you taste it. Bet it won't be so delicious then," Nina said, not for the sake of correcting her friend but just to pop Arika's bubble.

As expected, Arika deflated a little and pouted, looking less enthusiastic. Erstin giggled good-naturedly at the skit Nina and Arika improvised every so often and Nina tried to remain indifferent as a smile tugged at her lips.

"Don't say that Nina! Have hope," Arika cried.

Nina just gave her a look. "It's just food, stupid," she deadpanned.

"Come on Nina, just because you don't agree with something doesn't make it stupid," Erstin said, trying to ease down the tension.

"Have you even heard what she's saying Ers?" Nina asked in disbelief.

There was a little bickering for a while before Mai interrupted them. "Now now children," she said over the top of her menu. "Don't make me separate you."

The three grinned guiltily in reply and continued reading over the menu list. There was silence for a minute or so before Arika was the first to speak.

"I've decided," she announced, her eyes wide in anticipation. "I'm getting the chilli cheese fries and cheese burger."

Nina bit back a snarky reply she had on the tip of her tongue and instead just gazed at the options available.

"Good," Mai said, clapping her hands happily. "I think I'll have the poppadoms with the multiple side sauces. What about you two?"

Nina hummed with a decisive tone, still scouring the list with her amber eyes while Erstin hesitated.

"Choose wisely," Arika interjected seriously.

"It's just food," Nina snorted. "And it's all so greasy."

"Here," Mai said, flipping Nina's menu over to reveal another list of food. "Perhaps these will suit your tastes."

"Ah, better. I'll have the garlic bread slices then," Nina said.

Arika nodded approvingly. "Good choice, you have great intuition," she said.

Erstin then cited what she was going to order and Arika repeated her statement eagerly.

"It's hardly intuition," Nina murmured, eliciting a giggle from Erstin.

Mai tagged down a waitress and placed their orders, choosing the correct complimentary drinks too. Now it was a small matter of waiting for their food.

"You were right Mai," Arika began, looking around the diner feverishly. "This place _is _cute."

The diner was styled after the 70s era, complete with the cheesy neon sign, American style booths, bar and stools and the employees even donned the 70s uniform.

"I expected food like pancakes and burgers when we came in here but the other choices of food surprised me," Nina commented, nodding approvingly.

"I guess that's their niche," Erstin added. "To appeal to all audiences."

"Yes," Mai grinned. "It looks like an American food place on the outside but serves a variety of foods to appeal to everyone. And the best thing is that they have to make it fresh so if you don't mind a little wait then you'll have some good food on your plate."

"Not bad," Nina said.

"Just wait till the food arrives," Mai grinned.

* * *

Chie and Natsuki strolled past several shady looking takeaway joints, Natsuki lingering behind whilst Chie strode on ahead.

"Come on! Let's go somewhere nicer than these places," Chie called out, grinning happily.

"Why don't we just grab something from here?" Natsuki replied, eyeing the prices.

Chie laughed and ran back to where Natsuki was, going behind her and pushing her forward by the shoulders. "Don't be so stingy," Chie told her. "You know I'll pay you back."

"Yeah yeah sure."

Natsuki allowed herself to be dragged to wherever Chie was taking her. They passed a few blocks before coming upon a small diner which Chie stood in front of proudly, clearly waiting for Natsuki's approval.

"This place is great," Chie announced. "I discovered it a couple of days back when I took out that hot girl from 3rd class. The one with blonde hair and the huge-"

"Unnecessary information," Natsuki cut her off, holding up a hand. "Is it cheap?"

"Yeah, it's alright," Chie answered, already half inside.

Natsuki sighed and grudgingly followed. She entered the establishment and was immediately with bright lights and a pleasant smell of cooking batter. The diner was mostly empty, something which suited Natsuki just fine.

"Hey Chie! Natsuki! Over here!" A voice suddenly shouted.

Chie and Natsuki didn't have to look far to see who was being so loud. Arika was excitedly bouncing in her seat as she beckoned her over. Her twin pigtails bounced along merrily as if sharing the excitement.

"Well, if it isn't the cutest freshmen ever, minus one certain bratty one. Arika, I don't think you were shouting loud enough. The people in the cafe next door couldn't hear you," Chie teased. "Oh and one... whatever that is," she said dully, nodding her head at Mai.

"Oh gee, thanks," Mai replied in good-natured humour. "Eat with us, we didn't order too long ago."

She tugged on Chie's arm until she sat. Natsuki slid in next to Chie and nodded in greeting to everyone. The booth was fashioned in such a way that the circular shape meant that everyone could see each other when they sat which made it convenient for the large group.

"Why, with such request from a lovely lady I do think it would be ill of me to decline," Chie said chivalrously.

"Oh, so I'm a 'lovely lady' now?" Mai pouted playfully.

"I upgraded your status because you're so good to me," Chie teased.

She then tagged down a waitressed so that she and Natsuki could place their orders. It wasn't long until their food arrived so over idle chatter they ate and conversed.

"Oh yeah," Chie suddenly said, sticking a hand into her pockets in search of something. After a few silent seconds, Chie triumphantly pulled out what she just remembered: her phone. "Now I wasn't going to bring this out till tomorrow but now that two of the defendants are here..." She flipped open her phone and showed them a picture which spoke volumes.

"Wow," Arika uttered in open mouth surprise whilst Mai squealed at the picture. Nina and Erstin both turned a strange shade of red at seeing themselves locked in a scandalous position.

"Woah," Natsuki couldn't help but to say once she caught a glimpse of the picture.

"No wonder you were acting so weird last night Erstin," Arika said knowingly. "In any case, congratz!"

"I... I..." Nina stuttered, clearly not knowing what to say.

"I always knew you two would get together," Mai gushed.

Chie flipped her phone shut and slipped it into her pocket. It seemed to her that something was amiss with the two freshmen.

"We're not..." Erstin trailed off, still blushing hazardously.

An awkward silence ensued.

"Oh," Mai said. "Then what were you doing?"

"I... I don't remember _that_ happening," Nina finally said once she got her voice back. The stunned expression remained but the blush faded and she had turned rather pale.

"Well, Nina did drink a lot last night. Even the coke was spiked so I'm not surprised. We had to leave pretty early because she was so tipsy," Arika explained, a finger to her lip in thought. "Come to think of it... Erstin was pretty eager to leave. She was probably concerned about Nina's wellbeing though-"

"Arika, either think in your head or don't think at all," Natsuki cut her off, rolling her eyes.

"Wait, I slept at Ers's house last night," Nina said with sudden realisation, turned to Erstin sharply.

Erstin blushed and twiddled her fingers shyly. "N-Nothing happened Nina," she told her, before almost inaudibly adding, "n-not that I w-would have minded if it's you."

"This our cue to leave?" Natsuki asked Mai. Mai nodded and pushed Chie and Natsuki out of the booth, even though Chie protested. She reached across the table and grabbed Arika too.

"Wah!" Arika cried, grabbing her cheeseburger in time. "What are we-"

Mai interrupted her by slapping a hand over her mouth. "Well, Arika and I have to go check something out and Natsuki and Chie got their homework to do," Mai explained to Erstin and Nina, dropping enough money on the table to pay for them all. "We'll see you later."

She pushed all three girls out of the door, much to their dismay. Once they were a block away, Mai giddily jumped on the spot.

"Oh my god, they are sooo getting together," she squealed happily.

"That's great, we could have seen them 'getting together' if we stayed but you dragged us away and we're missing the most important part," Chie complained, much like a little child.

"Maybe you should be excited about that your friends are finding happiness rather than the gossip it will generate," Mai said, pointedly averting her eyes to Natsuki.

"Fine, I guess I can make a couple of exceptions," Chie relented. She gave Mai a disappointed look. "You would have made a fine apprentice were it not for your morals and conscience."

"Aww, my loss," Mai pouted dramatically. She then linked her arm with Natsuki and marched off in the opposite direction of the diner, ignoring Natsuki's struggling. "The night is young," she declared, leading them with a destination in mind. "There's still time for karaoke!"

Natsuki groaned but Arika cheered. "Well, it can't be helped," Chie said cheerfully, wrapping an arm around Arika's shoulders and following the other two.

"Yay, I love karaoke," Arika cheered, before pouting. "But we can't stay too long, we've got school tomorrow."

"Don't worry, we'll get you in bed on time," Chie grinned, before humming thoughtfully. She lifted Arika's chin up with her free hand. "But you know, everyone's pairing up but us," she stroked Arika's chin sensuously with her thumb, "maybe we should get together and complete the cycle."

As predicted, Arika blushed a deep scarlet. "Chie!" She cried, burying her face in her hand in shyness.

"Chie, stop flirting with her," Mai reprimanded from up front.

"Fine," Chie grinned victoriously.

She would have dropped her arm too but Arika still had her face hidden by her hands so she had to guide the younger girl. Knowing Arika's luck, the girl would walk into a lamppost or impale herself on a fire hydrant.

"Hurry up you two, we've got some singing to do," Mai cheered enthusiastically.

Chie laughed at her charisma and brought up the rear. She predicted that they would not return home in time to get a decent night's sleep.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

This chapter is a shameless filler. What the heck is up with the paragraph breakers? They won't show so I had to use the big ol line. Crap, looks like I have to edit the other chapters too.

Thanks to those who read, those who reviewed, those who favourite/alert'ed and those who fapped.

If you didn't understand:

Hammered = Drunk.

Pissed = Drunk or angry. Also the act of urinating but I won't use it in that context.

Shit = A replacement for saying 'stuff' and 'things. Also another word for fecal matter but I won't use it in that context.

This chapter gave me a little trouble but it's done. Deleted 4 scenes but hopefully that isn't noticeable and everything flows nicely.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**High School**

* * *

Chie woke up to her incessantly beeping alarm clock on an early Wednesday morning, a little more than a week after the party. Her messy head emerged from the duvet and she sluggishly bopped the plastic box to turn it off. The flashing lights told her it was 7am but she did not heed its warning. With a decisive snort she flipped over to her back and dozed off back into slumber land.

It was at 7:45 when her sleep was interrupted next, but this time with an unwelcomed pillow that was flung at her. She groaned as she threw it off her face and blearily looked over at the figure stood next to her. It was obviously Natsuki.

"It's quarter to eight," Natsuki said, taking a sip from her mug. "Get up."

"I'm up, I'm up," Chie mumbled, wiping the sleep away from her eyes. "Coffee."

Natsuki rolled her eyes and walked out of the bedroom. "I've just brewed a pot so come get some while it's still hot," she said, talking a seat on the couch and smiling at the other person there. "Sorry, she's like a zombie in the morning so I wake her up or else she'll miss classes."

Shizuru giggled and shifted closer to the bluenette. "You're a good friend," she said, smiling sweetly as Natsuki blushed a little. The younger girl blushed at almost everything and it was an endearing trait that Shizuru loved to see.

"Someone has to be one," Natsuki explained, taking a huge gulp of her drink. "Also, I'm her ride so if she's late, then I'm late."

Shizuru stole the mug from her and took a sip herself, face scrunching up cutely at the taste. "This is foul," Shizuru summarised, giving the mug back without a fight. "Makes one wonder how people can stand such a beverage."

"One could say the same about tea," Natsuki quipped, making fun of her girlfriend's manner of speech and drinking habits.

A loud bang emitted from the depths of Chie's room and she stumbled out of it, drowsily making her way over to the kitchen without sparing a glance at the two. There was a few clinking noises in the kitchen before it ended with Chie emerging out of the kitchen, a satisfied look on her face as she sipped from a mug. Her shirt was raised due to her free hand scratching idly at a spot above her belly button.

"Oh, you both drink that concoction," Shizuru said distastefully, making Chie jump and slosh her coffee.

"Woah, didn't see you there," Chie said, slowly fixing her t-shirt so she could purposely allow Shizuru a free glimpse of her toned stomach.

Natsuki scoffed at the display but still looked at Shizuru from the corner of her eye to see if she was enjoying it. The crimson eyes met hers with amusement and Natsuki quickly looked away, caught in the act of observing.

"So what are you doing here so early?" Chie asked, taking a seat on the loveseat besides the couch. "Or did you slip in late last night?" She grinned knowingly.

Natsuki didn't even grace that with a reply but hoped that Shizuru wasn't either offended or disgusted by Chie's forwardness.

"On the contraire, I slipped in early morning," Shizuru said, smirking amiably. "Natsuki has been entertaining me ever since."

Her voice was laced with innuendo and Natsuki blushed darkly. Well, it seemed like she should have known better; Shizuru would take anything she could get to tease Natsuki.

"Not _that_ type of entertaining," Natsuki interjected.

"I'm sure," Chie winked as though she didn't believe Natsuki.

"Anyway, I have to leave now," Shizuru announced, standing up and brushing invincible dust off her skirt.

Without question Natsuki stood up with her and escorted her to the door where they shared a lengthy kiss before Shizuru finally departed. Natsuki returned to the couch with a goofy smile on her face.

"Could you be anymore whipped?" Chie said over her mug.

Natsuki didn't let the comment dishearten her mood. She tapped her watch pointedly. "You have 30 minutes or else I'm going to school without your ass," she said.

Chie cursed, downed her coffee in one go then ran off into the bathroom. Natsuki just snickered as she slowly slipped on her own drink, savouring the time she had to spare.

* * *

It was on that Wednesday when Chie met Aoi for the first time since the party. It wasn't a case of avoiding each other; they just haven't had a real conversation since then. Not for the lack of trying, Chie always spoke to Aoi whenever they crossed paths in crowded hallways and busy cafeterias. The brunette always responded playfully to her flirtations but never had the chance to take them seriously because she was busy with student council duties. An event was coming up, a dance or something or the other, and the student council had their hands full with preparations.

Chie never really cared for these festivities but she still made an appearance to exploit the festive mood and get some numbers.

So on that Wednesday, Chie would speak to Aoi with something in mind more than flirting. But before she would do so, she'd speak to Natsuki in their shared biology lesson.

Chie sauntered into the lab with her arm linked up with another girl. They stopped by the girl's seat where Chie said something to her before pointing to the back where Natsuki sat. The girl pouted but nodded and kissed Chie on the cheek. Chie responded with a brief hug and hurried to the back.

"Hey," Chie greeted her, making the most of the seconds they had before the professor arrived.

"Yo," Natsuki replied as she idly watched Chie get her notepad and pens out.

Chie flipped her shoulder bag shut before throwing it under the table and facing Natsuki with excitement clearly etched on her face.

"Guess what?" Chie began, waiting for Natsuki to say something.

The bluenette merely sighed and leant back in her chair. This was going to be tiring. "What?" She dully answered.

"It's no fun if you don't guess," Chie pouted but carried on to say proudly, "I have a date with Aoi this weekend."

Natsuki looked at her as if she had gone insane. "She actually agreed to go out with you?" Natsuki said with a strong tone of disbelief. For Aoi to agree on a date with Chie was highly unlikely. For one; Chie was left unscathed by Hiroki, Aoi's jock boyfriend and two; Aoi hadn't shown any signs of serious mutual attraction.

"Well no," Chie admitted, looking down at her desk as she ran her hand through her hair. It was a comfort action to her and it usually worked in soothing her.

"Does she know that you're planning on asking her?" Natsuki asked next.

"Nope," Chie answered.

Natsuki gave her 'the look'. Chie grinned cheerfully in reply but Natsuki continued with 'the look'. 'The look' was a combination of a slight head tilt and raised eyebrow that screamed pity.

"Don't feel bad when she shoots you down," Natsuki merely said, turning away once the professor entered the lab.

Chie gaped at her friend. Her friend of many years, give or take five maybe, had no faith in her abilities to ask someone out on a date. She could at the very least lied and offer some support or encouragement on the matter.

Chie slapped her arm hard. "Ow," Natsuki complained, grabbing the aforementioned appendage. "What did my arm ever do to you?"

"You idiot, I'm not just going to walk up to her and ask," Chie grumbled under her breath. "At least hear me out."

Natsuki glanced to the front and once she was satisfied that the professor wouldn't be turning his attention on them any time soon, she shuffled closer to Chie so they could speak confidently. She didn't go too close or else it would look like they are conspiring something.

"I'll amuse you for a while." Natsuki said.

Chie glared at her. "You're a good friend you know."

"I try."

Chie nudged her then proceeded to get back to the topic on hand. "So, as I was saying," she said, "I'm going to ask Aoi out. Today."

"Yes, we've established that," Natsuki said. "What we've not established is how you're going to convince Aoi to ditch her boyfriend of a couple of months to go out on a date with your skinny ass instead."

Chie ran her hand through her short hair again. "Well, I was thinking I'd buy a kitten. You know how girls love cute things so I'd use this adorable kitten to lure her into my circle of friends and one day when I'll need help to settle the kitten in, she'd jump at the opportunity to offer her assistance and then when she's over at our apartment when you're coincidently not at home then one thing will lead to another and we'll do the dirty."

Natsuki just stared.

"Well?" Chie urged her for her opinion.

Natsuki merely looked at her.

"...That bad?" Chie asked feebly.

Natsuki shook her head sadly.

"I have another idea," Chie announced suddenly. "Maybe if I had an orphaned kid and a bus-"

"Shut up Chie, have you heard yourself speak?" Natsuki asked incredulously.

Natsuki never really had any intentions to help Chie in the first place; she wouldn't let Chie pursue these wacked up ideas of hers. Not only were they ludicrously stupid, they also included endangering lives. The kitten idea? Say it works and Chie has no need for the kitten, what would become of the pet? The orphan idea was the same, using those who are less privileged for personal gain. It was all incredibly selfish of Chie and the outcome of her endeavours would be one night of sex for her and possibly ruining Aoi's live. Natsuki did not want a part of any of that.

"Look dude, if you have to resort to such techniques then that's pretty fucking sad," Natsuki told her bluntly, offering a consolidating pat on the shoulder that felt a little patronising to Chie.

"That's not all," Chie said, quick to defend herself. "I'm just setting up the situation, once we're alone she'll fall in love with my personality."

"She's had loads of chances to do that and I haven't seen it happen yet," Natsuki said truthfully. "When you approached her at her locker, the club and the party."

Chie glared at her. "That wasn't the right setting," Chie spat out, obviously not pleased with hearing about her failures.

"Really? Seemed to me like you-"

BANG.

A hand slammed down onto the table between them. Both Natsuki and Chie visibly jumped at the intrusion and looked up into their professor's angry eyes.

"I trust you two have finished your conversation, yes?" He said with strain.

"Yes sir," they both mumbled.

"Good, any more talking and it's a detention," he warned, striding back to the front of the lab with his white lab coat swishing behind him.

Natsuki looked over at Chie once the professor stepped away but Chie was firmly not meeting her eyes. It looks like she had upset her friend by telling her the truth.

* * *

It was after regular school hours and Chie was walking through the empty hallways. She had a detention for some reason or the other, but who cared about homework when you could do much better things? The repercussions were a slap on the wrist and an hour of her time after school but that didn't matter much, the good stuff didn't happen until much later in the day.

So Chie was browsing through the empty hallways in her simple t-shirt and jeans, glad for the bright weather because she was planning on walking the whole way home when she caught a glimpse of the back of a familiar brunette she had been pursuing for the last week or so. Quickly fixing her hair up the best as she could without the aid of a mirror, Chie hurried to catch the girl before she left.

Chie jogged through the school's front door and saw that Aoi was nearly out of the premises. Chie caught up to her without making a sound and violently grabbed her shoulders.

"Rawr!"

Aoi screamed so loud that it pierced through Chie's eardrums. Before Chie could even begin to explain herself, Aoi whirled around and smacked the assailant with her handbag. She had attacked the unknown figure a good three times before realising that there he or she was not going to fight back. Unfortunately, the damage was already dealt and Chie laid on the floor in a foetal position as she cradled her head.

"Oh Chie! I'm so sorry," Aoi said, crouching down to her level and placing a hand on her arm. "Are you okay?"

Chie writhed around on the floor a little while longer in an obvious plea to gain some pity.

"Okay, I know you're faking now," Aoi laughed, finding the situation funny now that she knew Chie wasn't critically hurt.

She couldn't stop giggling as she pulled Chie's arms from her face and inspected the damage she had caused. Her handbag did carry her school books and the rest of her stuff after all so she imagined it weighed quite a bit. She helped Chie sit up but did not stop giggling.

"Was there a brick in there?" Chie asked, taking her glasses off and rubbing her head.

"I'm bringing my science textbook home today," Aoi explained, still laughing.

Chie flopped back down on the grass and placed one arm comfortably under her head. "Stop laughing. Why'd you attack me like that?"

"Because you scared me!" Aoi said, knowing that Chie was going to try to play the innocent victim. She lightly slapped her on the stomach, making her jump. "You're barely even hurt."

Chie leant on one arm as she pointed to her head where the bag made impact. "It's not a visible wound," she explained, leaning in to Aoi until they were a short distance apart. "Kissing it will make it better."

Aoi shoved her back to the ground and stood up, straightening out the creases in her skirt. "I have to go find my ride," she said, backing away slowly. "You're not concussed so you should be okay getting home."

Chie stood up to and walked with her as they headed to the school's car park. "You're so unsympathetic but I'll walk you to your ride," Chie said, pocketing her glasses, an action not missed by Aoi.

Aoi knew exactly why Chie put them away and grinned at the implications it had. She knew that the flirtatious girl thought that she looked sexier without them on; hell, she even made the effort to brush her hair out of her face so that her brown eyes were seen clearly. Aoi remembers that this was also done on the day of the party, where Chie was hoping to please someone. It didn't take a genius to see who that someone was, Aoi was fully aware of the girl's intentions.

"So, there's some interesting rumours spreading around," Chie said conversationally, waving her hand about. "Some interesting things happened at the party, you know how girls love to talk about things that don't concern them."

Aoi snickered and pointed one finger in the air. "There are the girls who talk and then there's you," she said in an intellectual manner.

"I'm in a category of my own?" Chie asked with a head tilt, her tone indicating that she was curious.

The action was undeniably cute but Aoi felt it would have been better with Chie's glasses on to complete the look.

"Yes," Aoi said, reaching into Chie's pocket to take the spectacles. Chie was a bit confused but allowed her to do as she pleased. "You are the puppeteer, so to speak, and the other girls are the puppets who dance for you."

"I like to think of myself as the emperor," Chie said, watching as Aoi unfolded the glasses.

When Aoi's hands made their way to her face, Chie flinched and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for whatever contact she was going to make but she was surprised to feel cool plastic sliding against her temples before hooking themselves behind her ear. She then felt hands touching her hair and lightly brushing against her skin. She opened her eyes only to find Aoi up close and personal as she played with her hair. They were maybe a couple of centimetres away, Chie could see Aoi's bright blue eyes up close and it would have been a perfect moment to kiss her.

"There," Aoi said once she was finished. Chie felt her fringe falling in front of her face again, a hairstyle she usually used when she couldn't be bothered pruning herself. It was an entirely natural hairstyle with no aid of wax or hairspray. "Much better," she said, continuing to walk because they had stopped.

Chie twirled a lock of her dark hair. She had a hundred responses ready to be chosen but for once, heeded Mai's advice and chose not to say anything too forward or sexual. "Really? You think so?"

"Yeah," Aoi said, smiling cutely at Chie which made Chie want to hug her. "You sound pretty self conscious there."

"Whatever," Chie laughed, placing her hands in her pocket as they arrived at the car park. "Who's your ride?" She asked, looking around the deserted place.

Aoi rummaged in her bag with one hand as she answered. "Hiroki's picking me up," she said, missing Chie's eye roll at the mention of his name. "He's never late so something must have came up- Ugh!"

Chie walked over to her curiously as Aoi cursed and typed on her phone. "What's up?" She asked, standing closer to Aoi and putting an arm around her waist as looked over her shoulder at her phone. Chie didn't want to sound like a creep but Aoi smelt damn good so she took a deep breath of her scent, revelling in the sweet aroma.

"Hiro can't pick me up," she explained, sighing as she typed in a reply message. "I left my phone on silent so I didn't hear the countless messages he sent me."

Chie wrapped her other arm around Aoi's waist, feeling a little more confident now that Hiroki was out of the picture for now. Screw Mai's advice, full on was the way she was going to go. She was standing so close to Aoi now so that she was practically mounting up on her. "Oh? How do you plan on getting home?" She asked, speaking the words directly to her ear. It helped that she was taller so that they fit into each other perfectly.

Aoi laughed but didn't move out of the hold, if anything she got more comfortable. "Again Chie?" She asked in mock disbelief, placing her hands on top of Chie's. "We've gone on so long without you hitting on me, what changed?"

Chie laughed throatily and held Aoi tighter, encasing her in her firm arms. "If I had a girl like you I wouldn't leave you hanging," Chie said.

"If you had a girl like me," Aoi repeated, picking Chie's hands off her and stepping out of the hold. "Which you don't."

Chie did not let that stop her confidence one bit so she stepped back and put her hands back in her pocket, grinning roguishly. "You say that now..." Chie trailed off, the insinuation quite clear.

Aoi was saved from replying when her phone sang out a tune. It took one glance at the screen to make Aoi's face light up. "Hey Hiro," she sang into the phone, looking pointedly at Chie who wryly shook her head. "It's okay, I'll be fine. Honestly, the weather's not so bad. Okay, you too. Bye bye now."

Chie was quick to redirect the attention on herself. "So what did Hiroki say?" She asked, trying not to say his name as if it was a pile of faeces.

"He was going to send one of his buddies to give me a lift but I told him I'd rather walk instead," Aoi explained, shouldering her hand bag.

"What a coincidence, I was going to walk home too," Chie said, slowly grinning. "May I inquire where you live? I'll walk you home."

"Ought I to feel privileged to have _you_ walk mere old _me_ home?" Aoi asked sarcastically.

"No," Chie began correcting her, linking their arms together. "I'd feel privileged to walk a young lady such as yourself home. Allow me the honour?"

Aoi laughed but permitted Chie to walk her home. Sure, it was risky letting a girl who was probably infatuated with her find out where she lived but she was sure that Chie wouldn't do anything rash like start stalking her or breaking into her dorm. Actually she wouldn't be surprised if Chie already knew the address she was staying at, she had heard that the flirtatious girl had a way of finding information that was hard to get. Well kept secrets, locations, who hooked up with who, bra sizes... Chie had her mysterious methods though Aoi knew exactly how Chie got the latter.

They began walking and their conversation was pleasant and friendly. Chie did make a few advances but it seemed to Aoi that they were only in amusement and light hearted, much unlike the bold ones she made before. It was interesting getting to know Chie outside of her smooth pick up lines, Aoi found that the girl was actually funny and easy to talk to.

In a way, Chie reminded her of Hiroki. Physically, one had a penis and a totally buff body whilst the other had neither but the two were extremely good looking and they knew it, they were cocky and provocative. Before Aoi started dating Hiroki, he was very promiscuous, much like Chie. But when they started dating, the boy had become faithful and she found attributes of his that she liked, similar to what she was doing with Chie now.

Apart from their appearances, the pair was totally different too. They both revelled in attention, demanding it as they made their presence known. They acquired it in different ways, Hiroki was loud and active and he commanded the room with his roguish manner. Chie though... Chie was peculiar in her approach to the recognition she received. She craved it as much as Hiroki did but acted composed about it. It interested Aoi to see Chie walk into a party and coolly smile at people she knew whereas Hiroki shouted and hollered at his buddies, running around to give them high fives.

Chie was definitely interesting, she was the first girl to pursue Aoi. It was very different to when Hiroki actively chased after her. Aoi was adamant in denying Hiroki at first, blatantly refusing his proposals until he wore her down. Sure, she was still nice and polite about it but with Chie, she was playful and felt more at ease. It was bizarre; the only logical explanation Aoi could think of was that they were both girls, hence why Aoi felt more comfortable. She had confirmed her bisexuality but she wasn't going to act upon it whilst she was dating someone else.

"Oh hey, you live pretty close to me," Chie said with surprise as they neared Aoi's dorm. Chie figured it was a mere ten minute walk from the dormitories to the apartment complex she lived in. "Why don't you come on over to mine instead, hang out for a few hours?" Chie proposed.

Aoi made a show of thinking about the question deeply, putting a finger to her chin. "Hmm...No," she said rather bluntly, smirking at Chie's attempt to hide her crestfallen expression. "Unless Natsuki supervises us then no."

It was Chie's turn to smirk at that. "I'm guessing you don't trust yourself in my presence," Chie said triumphantly as they came to a stop outside of the dorm's doors.

"I've been alone with you for quite a while and I've managed to control myself just fine," Aoi laughed, opening the door. "It's you I'm afraid of; I don't know what you'll do once we're alone in your room."

Chie raised her eyebrows at that. Did the girl think she would rape her or something? She backed away slightly, ready to set off home alone. "Just wait Senou," she called once she was quite a ways away. "You'll be the one making the first move."

Chie's confidence really amused Aoi to no end. She didn't grant her a reply, instead she merely waved happily and the retreating Chie grinned back before fully turning away. It was amazing how a dull day was immediately lifted up by a chance encounter.

* * *

Chie arrived home in the ten minutes she estimated it would take to walk from Aoi's dormitories. She threw her shoulder bag into to the side as she closed the front door. She and Natsuki were still on the rocks from the earlier Biology session, hence why she walked home instead of asking for a lift. It was a minor clash that they had but it still felt pretty awkward to talk to Natsuki afterwards. The best that Chie could do was to ignore what had transpired.

The girl in question was sat on the couch with a bunch of papers on the coffee table in front of her. Chie summarised that she was probably doing homework; the exam season wasn't here yet so there wasn't any revision for either of them.

"Yo," Chie greeted, walking past the couch and into her bedroom to retrieve her laptop.

"Hey," Natsuki replied, not looking away from scribbling something down. "You ask Aoi out today?"

Chie paused as she leant over the desk to reach her laptop. "Damn," she said, walking to the living room and settling comfortably on the loveseat. "I totally forgot about that," Chie admitted, grinning wryly as she waited for her laptop to boot up. "I even spoke to her after detention too."

"Really?" Natsuki asked, finally looking up from her work. Perched on her nose was a pair of blue rimmed glasses that she never wore outside of the apartment. Natsuki pushed them back up the bridge of her nose as they annoyingly slipped down. "Bet you hit on her though."

Chie laughed. It seemed that they were back to normal, Natsuki was ignoring it too. "Of course," Chie said. "Got shot down too."

Natsuki raised an eyebrow. "You don't seem unhappy about that," she commented. It was true, Chie was practically radiating happiness.

"I walked her home today as well," Chie explained. "We talked a whole lot so I managed to find out some stuff about her."

"That's good for you I suppose," Natsuki shrugged. She didn't condone what Chie was doing but for some reason it appeared that the whole chase was more thrilling that usual for her friend. One step closer to settling for a long relationship? Natsuki could only hope. "What are you going to do about her boyfriend?"

"I thought you didn't want me to get with Aoi," Chie said, frowning at her friend who was beginning to contradict herself.

"I don't want you to screw her and leave her," Natsuki clarified. "You're actually enjoying her presence aren't you? Looks to me that you're falling for her."

Chie snorted at that statement. Her? Fall for someone? Sure, Aoi was sweet and cute and had amazingly blue eyes that invoked the butterflies in her stomach that she had mistook for arousal but to want her more than a hot fling?

"You're wrong," Chie said, shaking her head of those thoughts. "I'm not settling for anyone."

"Right," Natsuki drawled, clearly not believing her. She didn't add more on the matter but Chie's strong denial spoke to her.

"I'm not," Chie repeated.

"Okay okay," Natsuki said, leaving the discussion at that.

Chie glanced at her one more time before going back to her laptop. She was so not falling for the girl, she just really wanted her. Right?

* * *

**Omake:** The Omake is a lie.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

To be told, has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?

Wow, in my opinion, I wrote this pretty fast. Granted, it's a short chapter in comparison to the others but it's a chapter none the less. A lot more rambling too, don't be hating.

Thanks to those who reviewed, those who read and those who alerted. Shout out to blammer for being the only one who knew. *high five*

P.S I may or may not be going to India for a month so chapter 7 could take a while.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Mai HiME. I do own this nice vest though.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**High School**

* * *

Shizuru Fujino was bored. She would never admit it openly, to a stranger or a close friend, but she was undeniably, god damn bored. She was currently sat in the seiza position on a mat as she and her parents entertained her father's business guests. She enjoyed the ritual of a tea ceremony and performing one had been the highlight of the day so far but that had been over for a long time so now she was left to listen to her father and his guest drone on about business related discussion.

Usually she wouldn't mind helping her father gain favour but she had to cancel a date for this event, thus making it appear oh so uninteresting in her eyes. A night spent with Natsuki would have been way better than an evening spent with strangers. This day would have been more bearable if her father's guest had brought his wife and any possible daughters but no, he brought his two sons instead so the room was pumped full of testosterone. Not that Shizuru was sexist, she just imagined that she wouldn't have much in common with the two boys.

"What grade is your daughter in Keijo?" The patriarch of the family asked Shizuru's father.

Shizuru would have scowled if she could, why not ask her instead of her father? Her mother noticed the strain on her face and gave her a look as if to tell her not to speak her mind.

"She's a junior in Fuuka," Keijo said proudly, casting a warm glance at her.

"Is that so?" The business man replied thoughtfully, looking like he was storing the information in his head. "I was thinking of enrolling Ryuuji there for his senior year," he said, motioning to his son who bowed his head politely.

"Oh really?" Her father enquired politely though Shizuru was sure he didn't give a damn. "It is a really nice school and lives well up to its reputation."

"If he does get enrolled, which I imagine he would, perhaps your daughter wouldn't mind showing him around," Ryuuji's father suggested.

Although it didn't show on his face, Keijo hesitated with the answer. He understood why this was proposed this but still, he couldn't reveal the truth lest he wanted one less business partner. "Maybe Takeshi. Shizuru has a lot of responsibility with being the school's student council president," Keijo explained. "Juggling school work, her social life and president responsibilities may be a bit much but the decision lies on Shizuru."

Shizuru was relieved that her father got her out of that one for her. It would have been troublesome to explain why she couldn't –no, didn't, want to show Ryuuji around.

"Well I thought it would be good for our children to get to know one another," Takeshi explained. "They're both nearly at the age to get married."

Keijo shared a look with his wife and daughter. "Yes, they're nearly at that age when it's legal to marry," Keijo began, "But we're hoping that Shizuru would finish a university degree before marrying."

It wasn't an outright rejection so it seemed that Takeshi took that into mind and thought he had another chance to set something up between their children. "Well that's good, allowing her a bit of freedom," he laughed obnoxiously. "What does she plan to graduate in?"

Shizuru tensed up and really had the urge to sock the man in the face. It wasn't ladylike and it wouldn't gain her father any favour but it would sure as hell satisfy her and perhaps make an interesting story that Natsuki could relate to.

It appeared that her father had lost his patience to his guest too. "Shizuru has expressed an interest into business, haven't you m'dear?" He said, openly addressing her like Takeshi wouldn't.

"Yes father," Shizuru said, happy to finally speak. "As the heiress to your corporation, I want to do all I can to help and a business degree is the way to go."

Keijo turned to Takeshi and smiled apologetically. "She is going to be the head of the Fujino corporation so for a long while she won't have time with marriages," he said. 'To any of your gold digging sons,' he added mentally.

His wife and daughter could clearly see that he was obviously displaying rejection because he was exhausted out from the none too subtle attempts at matchmaking.

"But surely you expect heirs," Takeshi asked, baffled that women had a use for something other than baby making.

"I expect grandchildren," Keijo replied bluntly, to Takeshi and to Shizuru, who nervously smiled back.

Her parents were well aware of her sexual orientation, she had revealed it to them when she was fourteen years old. It was the biggest night of her life, she was a nervous wreck because her parents were a stereotypically traditional family, with the big company dominated by men and home life full of female maids. The next days after that was hard on her, her parents did not immediately disown her like she thought they would but they did not speak of the revelation for a while. It was when Shizuru was caught kissing another girl that the issue was address and her parents confessed that although this did truly shock them, they would try their hardest to accept her because she was their daughter first and foremost. Heiress was ranked way lower.

Although she had some new rules on bringing female friends over or going to socialise with female friends, Shizuru was immensely happy with the outcome. The only setback was that she couldn't be open with her sexuality, many of her father's business partners were the traditional sort so there was a possibility they would terminate a contract over something that didn't concern them. Fortunately, she had the go ahead to tell friends as the younger generation was more accepting of her.

'Duly noted father,' Shizuru thought, trying to fight back a blush when she imagined her and Natsuki living a life with their kids.

Now she had something fun to focus on for the rest of the meeting.

* * *

Natsuki sneezed as she slipped the cigarette away from her mouth. She rubbed her nose and wondered if someone was talking or thinking about her. Takeda was next to her, smoking a cigarette of his own and looked over to her curiously.

"Catching a cold?" He asked, flicking the ashes from his stick.

"Nah," Natsuki answered, taking another deep puff.

They were sat on a wall in front of Takeda's uncle's garage shop where they were randomly chilling out. She didn't usually make trips here but she was bored and she was hanging out with Takeda prior to this chilling activity so they just wandered here.

"Want me to score some beer?" He asked.

"Sure," Natsuki said, waving her hand at him, making him scatter off into his uncle's garage to find the beer hoard.

She was bored, hanging out with Takeda was fun when there was a third party _object_ there such as a games console or their bmx bikes there to distract him but just speaking to him didn't bring out his best attributes. He often became a person who tried too hard to impress her or succumb to her every whim. It was about time she was blunt with him.

He returned quickly and passed her an opened bottle, sipping from one himself. She nodded her head in thanks and took a huge gulp.

"Look, Takeda," she began, almost flinching when his wholesome dark eyes met hers earnestly. "You know... I'm not sure if you've heard... About Shizuru and I..." Talking wasn't her strongest point.

"I've heard rumours," Takeda said, perhaps a little bitterly.

She took another mouthful of her drink and prepared herself to crush his feeling. It wasn't something she wanted to do, Takeda was a good friend to her but it needed to be done unless she wanted him running after her with hope in his eyes forever.

"We are dating," she said simply.

Takeda's eyes bugged out as he processed the information. He then looked into his beer bottle dejectedly once he realised what that meant. "Oh," he muttered.

Once Natsuki realised he wasn't going to say anything else she sighed and went on to elaborate. "Actually, I see ourselves continuing to date in the upcoming years," she admitted, embarrassingly scratching her head. It always was discomforting speaking about her relationship with Shizuru. "I'm sorry, we cannot be anything more than good friends. I like Shizuru very much."

There was a silence, neither person said anything but basked in this moment.

"Well, good on ya'," Takeda finally said, looking up from his bottle and forcing out a shaky grin.

Natsuki smiled sympathetically and placed a hand on his arm. "I better go huh?" She said, finishing off her bottle and placing it on the ground. She started walking off in an aimless direction before Takeda called out to her.

"For the way home," he said before chucking a battered packet of cigarettes at her.

She thanked him and nodded at him before turning around again, lighting up one of the sticks in the pack. She couldn't do much else to alleviate the boy's heart, she could only hope that they would get back to their friendship quickly.

* * *

It wasn't long until Natsuki reached her home. She opened the door and yelled a greeting to whoever was inside. She received Chie's reply back from the depths of her bedroom.

"You're not doing anything or anyone important today right?" Chie asked as she exited her room, joking about the 'anyone' part.

Natsuki kicked her shoes off and settled comfortably on her couch. "Nah, Shizuru's out doing some family stuff," Natsuki replied, pulling her phone out to see if she had any messages. She frowned, Shizuru hadn't sent one yet.

"Well, you know what that calls for?" Chie asked excitedly, not waiting for an answer. "Impromptu games night!"

Natsuki frowned at that. "I'm waiting for Shizuru to finish whatever she's doing then I'm gonna' go see her," Natsuki said. "Well, either that or she's coming here."

"No!" Chie cried out. "This is just a night for us, no girlfriends, no nothing. I've already called Miyu and Mikoto and they're coming."

Natsuki just shrugged. "Problem solved, you'll have someone other than me here," she said, beginning to write a text with her phone.

"You are whipped so bad," Chie said with obvious disappointment. She gave Natsuki one more lingering glance before sadly shaking her head with disappointment and walking into her room.

"Wait!" Natsuki called, trailing after her, phone now abandoned. "I am _not _whipped."

Chie just waved a hand at her as she worked on unplugging her games console from her small television. She knew straight up that Natsuki would do anything for Shizuru and as cute as it was to see, it was pretty damn annoying too and cut in their 'best friend' time.

"Look, we already planned to go out but something came up for her so I can hang out here for a little while until we can continue with our plans," Natsuki explained, adamant in explaining why she was not whipped. "I'm not even sure that we'll even hang out today."

"Alright then," Chie said, carrying a bunch of wires and controlled pads to the living room. Natsuki followed with the game console and a couple of games.

"Dude, you are annoying you know that," Natsuki huffed as she sat back down and watched Chie hook up the console to their huge TV.

"I try to be," Chie teased, stepping back from the TV and patting her hands clean. "Anyway, your obedience to Sexy Shiz? It's cute."

"'Sexy Shiz'?"

"I mean that in a respectful 'your girlfriend is smoking hot' kinda' way," Chie explained as if that was better.

"As opposed to...?" Natsuki trailed off.

"As opposed to the crude 'your girlfriend is fucking smoking, I'd like to bone that sweet ass' way," Chie answered.

Natsuki scrunched her face up. "I still feel offended," she said thoughtfully, mind wandering off.

"Well I wasn't insulting her," Chie said before waving her cell phone to gain the bluenette's attention. "Who else should we invite? I'm thinking Yuuichi and Takeda."

"Not Takeda," Natsuki said, feeling guilty again for making him upset. "Earlier on I told him we couldn't be more than friends."

Chie winced at that, knowing as well as Natsuki how he felt for her. She imagined her unsocial friend was blunt in her rejection. "That's deep," she shook her head. "I guessed he'd be too upset to come."

"Yeah, that and it'll just be awkward," she added. "Hey, I'm surprised you aren't writing down this information to spread."

Chie rolled her eyes at her friend, she had recently learned some tact when it came to friend's personal problems. "As good as this information is, I'm not an ass to my friends. Anyway I'm calling Yuuichi so you take a shower and change your clothes. You stink of nasty cigarettes."

She walked off to do as she mentioned, leaving Natsuki to her own devices. The bluenette considered calling Takeda to invite him so he understood that Natsuki didn't want their friendship to change but maybe calling him on the first day of rejection was too soon. Instead, Natsuki took out her phone to write a text to her girlfriend who was probably still spending time with her family as it was still early.

With that done, there was not much else to do. Chie was still busy with fiddling around with wires so Natsuki thought to take it upon herself to invite a few more people. She may not be very social but she still had people she considered friends... or considered her a friend. Miyu and Mikoto were coming, Tate's presence was being confirmed and Takeda shouldn't come so that left Nina (who was bound to bring the other freshmen) and Akira and Takumi. Nina was semi interested so she may or may not come but Akira and Takumi were a problem. Chie said no girlfriends but Akira was certainly the bigger gamer out of the two whereas Takumi wasn't very interested.

'I'll leave Chie to deal with that,' Natsuki thought, pulling out her phone to call Nina.

* * *

"Come in," Chie said happily as she opened the door to an equally- if not overly, happy Mikoto.

"Hey Chie!" Mikoto greeted, waving a plastic bag in the air. "Mai gave me some snacks to share."

Chie accepted it and ushered Mikoto in where they hung with Natsuki until the next batch of people arrived. It wasn't long until Tate arrived, with similar snacks that Mai gave him. Next was both Arika and Takumi, Chie decided they were both manly enough to pertain and after them were the four cute freshmen, Nina, Arika, Erstin and Mashiro. Chie wasn't sure if all the freshmen played any games which sort of defeated the purpose of this night but she did note that they brought over stuff to entertain themselves with so she didn't have to worry about being the host.

It was a bit crowed but they only had to wait on Miyu so they would be okay for space because the room was a lot bigger with the open kitchen. Speaking of the cyan haired girl, she had just stepped into the threshold of the apartment with her redhead lover in tow.

"Dude! Why is she here?" Chie claimed, indigently pointed at Nao who only gazed coolly at her.

"Should I have not brought her?" Miyu asked.

"Bro's before hoes man," Chie said sadly, closing the door behind them. Miyu looked like she wanted to hurt Chie for that comment. "It's a saying," she hastily added.

"Well, I didn't want to come to your mediocre apartment anyway," Nao said, distastefully looking around the home.

Chie scowled but didn't comment. Instead she ushered them to the available loveseat where Miyu sat down first with Nao sinking into her laps. The other adjacent love seat was taken up by Mashiro who regally sat on it, if not looking a little haughty. The other three freshmen was scattered on the floor on top of some duvets by Mashiro's chair where they crowded around a laptop. Akira, Takumi and Mikoto were sat on the couch, happily discussing something leaving Yuuichi and Natsuki to talk as they leant on the wall.

On the coffee table, that wasn't really used for coffee, were bowls full of snacks, condiments and other snazzy foods. There were a couple of plastic cups around and a beer cooler was sat next to the table for anyone who wanted a drink. The sofas and loveseats were aligned so they faced the big TV which currently had two consoles connected up to it.

"Okay guys," Chie said, stepping in front of the TV to gain their attention. "All the snacks are on the table but we have more so don't be afraid to chow down. Beer's in the cooler but non alcoholic drinks are in the fridge. If you guys want to do something else then we have two other laptops to go on. You all got that?" They all nodded or said their understanding. She then held up a game with two fighters on it. "I say we play this game first." No-one argued with her choice and allowed her to pop the disk in.

"I wanna' be the big oily guy!" Arika shouted out eagerly with her hand in the air.

"Okay..." Chie trailed off with that weird thought in mind, tossing a controller pad at her. "The other contender?"

"Wait!" Arika shouted again, halting her. She passed her controller to Natsuki who looked a little confused. "I declare a fight between the hostesses."

Chie and Natsuki agreed to the battle and settled comfortably in the room, Chie sat on the floor with her back against the couch, on the end nearest to Miyu and Nao whereas Natsuki sat on the other end. Yuuichi got himself a chair from the hardly used dining table and placed it next to Takumi.

"Loser passes it on," Mikoto declared, pumping her little fist in the air.

As Chie and Natsuki selected their character, they bother looked at each other with a challenge in their eyes. Oh, the fight was on.

* * *

Chie was still sat on the floor but this time Nao was by her side and they rummaged through her laptop's hard drive to take a look at all the scandalous photos Chie had taken in the recent years. The redhead was not interested the night's original intent and neither was Chie because after Natsuki and Miyu kept beating her, the games weren't fun anymore.

Currently, Arika and Mikoto were battling it out on some racing game which looked extremely realistic and hard. Arika had the disadvantage of Mashiro yelling at her and pulling her hair every time she hit a wall, lamppost or another car.

"This picture is gold," Chie laughed, showing Nao the picture that initially got Nina and Erstin together.

"Woah," Nao uttered, eyes going wide. "I don't remember teaching Nina that."

Chie laughed and moved on to some more pictures. They cycled through a couple, nostalgically recalling events and how far the rumours were speculated. It was well into the evening now and the gathering showed no signs of breaking up anytime soon. They even were back on the first game they played, Arika playing the big oily dude as she originally wanted who looked like he was sexually harassing Takumi's character, a girl who was wearing a revealing leotard. Chie and Nao now were in the kitchen, fixing up mixed drinks for themselves rather than drinking the beer from the cooler.

"So why didn't you bring Aoi along?" Chie asked curiously as she bit into a lime and cringed.

"We don't hang out all the time," Nao rolled her eyes. Seriously, they didn't. It was a misconception and they only spent 70 percent of their time together. Maybe 80. "Anyways, I was with Miyu when you called her and she seemed pretty excited about playing games all day so I let her come here but she was pretty determined in making me come too so that's the only reason I'm here."

"So things are going well between you two, thanks to me," Chie said smugly.

"All you did was carry me to my room," Nao said wryly.

"I did behind-the-scenes stuff," Chie said defensively. "Anyway, I didn't know Miyu could physically express her excitedness."

Miyu walked into the kitchen and stood next to Nao, allowing the smaller girl to burrow under her arm and cuddled up to her. "What are you guys conversing about?" She asked, placing a kiss on Nao's temple.

Nao responded with a kiss under her chin and told her, teasing her about how unresponsive she was. Chie joined in on the teasing and the two double teamed Miyu, making her wish she didn't come to check in on her girlfriend.

* * *

Yuuichi stood back as he let the younger kids play their moderately easy games. He was all about the shooting, guns and violence too but the game they were playing... Yeah, they might as well have been shooting rainbow from their guns. He stood with Natsuki who was back to leaning against the wall with, except they had a beer in their hands.

"So you ditched Mai for this?" Natsuki asked as she observed the screenplay.

"Nah, she's working tonight," Yuuichi answered, taking a sip of his beer. "What about you Kuga?" It was their little custom to address each other formally. "Would you leave your girl unattended for this?"

"Leave Shizuru to spend the day with whiny, little brats, including you?" Natsuki asked, the humour evident in her voice.

Yuuichi laughed too, knowing it was a ridiculous notion. He just felt compelled to ask to keep the conversation going. "Alright, that was a stupid question," he admitted, rubbing his unruly blonde hair in a familiar gesture. "So what's Shizuru busy doing? I know you wouldn't leave a beautiful girl like her for a couple of video games for the guys."

"She's got some family stuff to attend," Natsuki answered vaguely. She couldn't give any more information on the matter because even she didn't fully know what her girlfriend was up to. "That reminds me, I've got to call her."

Yuuichi nodded and granted her some privacy by walking back to his seat near Takumi. As he was speaking to the only guy in the room about manly man stuff, Mikoto was devouring the last scraps of food hungrily.

"Slow down Mikoto," Akira said, not once removing her eyes from the screen where she navigated her character through some trenches. It was currently a free for all match between her, Nina, Arika and Mashiro. She barely had to exert any effort, she could just go invincible and easily kill the unaware Mashiro or use a jetpack and confuse Arika who would then running around in circles. The only problem was Nina.

"I'm super hungry," Mikoto moaned, holding back from dipping the last of the chips into the delicious looking salsa.

"I guess we should order some pizza or something," Takumi wondered.

"Or we can make the short trip to Linden Baum," Yuuichi offered instead. "Mai should be on a break soon so we can visit her too."

"Good idea!" Takumi exclaimed, happy to have a chance to include his sister. "I'll go suggest this to Chie shall I?" He left his seat and proceeded into the kitchen to tell Chie their plan. She agreed to it so Takumi returned and passed on the message to the others.

Natsuki entered the kitchen. "Yo, I'm heading out to pick Shizuru up in ten minutes so shall I just meet you there?" She asked.

"Nah, we're going to head out in twenty so we'll be alright for time," Chie replied, letting Natsuki walk off before turning to Nao. "Hey, maybe we should invite Aoi too."

Nao laughed in her face knowing that Chie just wanted an extra chance to get into Aoi's pants. "She's out with her boyfriend, what makes you think she'll drop that dickhead for you?" Nao asked snidely.

Chie head her hands up defensively. "I'm not asking for my interest," she explained. "I just thought it would be a fun friends gathering."

Nao eyed her wearily before contesting. "I'll try," she offered, knowing that it was going to be hard to tear her away from Hiroki.

Chie nodded and walked into the living room to nervously wait for the verdict. She was having fun with everyone here but it felt like everyone was coupling off; Nao and Miyu had each other, both Nina and Erstin and Takumi and Akira are already together, Natsuki and Yuuichi would be reunited with their respective lovers leaving Chie, Mikoto, Mashiro and Arika. Chie suspected the three young ones would stick together so she would be pretty lonely.

Nao returned to the living with a victorious look on her face. "She agreed," she announced, making Chie mentally pump her fist in the air. "But we've got to pick her up in a couple of minutes."

"Alright, nice job," Chie congratulated her happily. She tapped Natsuki's shoulder and pointed at the other two. "Want to catch a ride to pick up Shizuru?"

Natsuki looked at Miyu and Nao and asked, "You don't mind?"

It was Nao who answered, even though it was Miyu's car. "Sharing breathing air with you is a large price to pay but we'll live," Nao snarked. "Let's go now then to pick up the princesses then."

Natsuki scowled but followed after them after she had brushed her hair to make it more presentable. Chie waved them off before falling into the spare loveseat. She caught Yuuichi staring at her with a knowing smirk. She playfully flipped him off before catching a controlled pad that was thrown to her.

"No-one's allowed to whine when I kick all your asses," Chie called out gaining enthusiastic retorts in reply.

She grinned as she selected the weapons she wanted to use. With Natsuki and Miyu gone, she now could begin building up her killstreak.

* * *

When the ones who had departed returned, they found themselves at a scene that amused them greatly. The room was full with deadly silence as everyone was honed in on the TV screen that was split off into four sections to signify the four played. Mikoto, Akira, Chie and Tate all stared at the screen as they expertly tapped buttons and manoeuvred the analogue sticks. They didn't offer the newcomers a greeting because they were too busy trying to kill one another under the time limit.

"Hey guys-"

"Shhh," Arika cut Nao off, hushing her with a wave of her arm.

Nao pouted and eyed the TV, as if she was going to stand in front of it to spoil their fun. Miyu caught the look and dragged Nao to the back where she began to lavish Nao with the attention she was just deprived off. It would take her mind off of ruining the game for a while.

The remaining three dare not say anything for they wished not to suffer the same harsh greeting. They stared on in silence as sounds of gunshots and explosions filled the room. It wasn't long until the game was over and the scores were displayed.

Yuuichi groaned and buried his head in his hands as Chie swore and threw her controller at the floor. Mikoto cheered and grinned victoriously as the others congratulated her. Akira, Yuuichi and Chie handed her some money, the latter two doing it reluctantly.

"You guys done now?" Natsuki spoke, startling the others.

They gave sheepish replies back and all got up, ready to go out. The walk to the restaurant took quite a while. Mikoto and Tate led the way up front with Akira and Takumi, behind them the freshmen in their respective groups; Nina and Erstin then Mashiro and Arika. Next were Miyu and Nao, followed by Natsuki and Shizuru then finally Chie and Aoi.

"Isn't it weird how everyone's pairing off and we get put together?" Chie commented to the brunette.

"Maybe we're very compatible," Aoi said coyly, a mischievous glint in her blue eyes. She trailed her hand down Chie's arm slowly until it met Chie's own hand. "Look," she said as she held up their hands. "Our hands fit into each other perfectly."

Chie was momentarily gob stopped by the flirtation. She almost hesitated in her reply but managed to gather her wits about her to play it off smoothly. She lifted the hands to her face and kissed the top of Aoi's hand. She left her lips to linger on the smooth skin for a while before she said, "It's just one of the signs. If we spend more time together then maybe we'll find more."

It wasn't an open proposition but it wasn't one laced with innuendo either. Chie wondered if Aoi would answer to that but Aoi was staying silent and not offering a reply. Chie looked down at the warm hand clutching her own and merely squeezed it once, spending the rest of the journey in silence as they walked hand-in-hand. Upon arrived at the front doors, Aoi slipped her hand out of Chie's and before Chie could say anything, ran to join the others. Staring confusingly at the back of her head, Chie shrugged before greeting Mai who was surprised but happy at their arrival.

They pulled a couple of tables together to make space for the bunch. Chie got the short straw and ended up quite a way away from Aoi. She was at one end with Mikoto by her side and Natsuki across from her. Naturally, Shizuru sat next to Natsuki. The others were sat in between Chie and Aoi so that she couldn't even see the brunette if she turned her head.

As conversations went on, Chie tried to gain Natsuki's attention. The emeralds just did not look her away. Instead, they were focused on crimson counterparts as Natsuki doted on Shizuru. When Chie started to get a little fed up, she tapped Natsuki's leg with her foot. She tapped once, no reaction, twice, no reaction but as they say, third time was the charm so exerting a little more pressure than a tap, she finally got Natsuki's attention.

Natsuki jumped at the kick and turned to Chie, feeling a little harassed. She raised an eyebrow to which Chie responded with a jerk of her head, indicating they should walk away to the counter neared to them. Natsuki subtly shook her head before turning back to Shizuru. Chie wasted no time and kicked her again, making the bluenette turn to her agitatedly. Chie motioned again but Natsuki still answered 'no'.

Shizuru noticed the actions and turned to Natsuki, whispering something into her ear. She finished and left a kiss on her cheek before turning back.

Natsuki sighed heavily. "Yo Chie, want to get a drink with me?" She asked, motioning to same counter as before.

"Yeah," Chie answered eagerly. "Be right back guys."

They made their way over to the aforementioned counter, using the ruse of looking at some menus to have a conversation that Chie desperately wanted to keep quite.

"What do you want?" Natsuki grunted.

"It's about me and Aoi," Chie answered.

Natsuki groaned but allowed her to continue.

"So when we were coming here me and her were at the back right?" Chie said. "I said 'Isn't it weird how we're together,' and then _she _flirted with _me_. So I said something back and we held hands but now she's ignoring me."

Natsuki sighed as she listened to her friend. She wondered why Chie came to her asking for advice when she knew that Natsuki wasn't so experienced in these things. Natsuki would never admit it out loud but she was dense. Hell, after speaking to Shizuru for a bit, she found out that the older girl had liked her for quite a time and had been dropping hints for ages and she had been too blind to see them. Why did Chie think that Natsuki would be useful?

"Maybe you should apologise," Natsuki offered even though it sounded like it was posed as a question.

"Apologise for what? All I asked her was to spend time with me and then she goes all silence," Chie said, a little exasperated with Natsuki's advice.

"Well I don't know what to do," Natsuki replied with equal frustration. "Heck, I thought you understood girls more than me."

"I think we know by now that Aoi's not just any girl," Chie mumbled.

"Oh, is she 'The Chosen One'?" Natsuki teased.

Chie shoved her lightly, she couldn't be too rough or else Natsuki wouldn't employ her help. "What should I do?" She moaned.

"I don't know," Natsuki shrugged. "Maybe reinstate your offer. You must be doing something right if she's willing to flirt with you."

"Yeah," Chie said dreamily before repeating herself with a bit more force. "That's right, she came onto me. What am I worrying about? I've got this in the bag."

Her self-pep talk seemed to have brightened up her mood and confidence by a large margin. Natsuki shook her head because it was this cocky demeanour that was so off putting. If Aoi saw this side of her resurface, Natsuki could bet that Chie would get shunned and turned down instantly.

"Offer to hang out with her or something," Natsuki said. "But make sure it isn't a date."

"Why?" Chie moaned, almost begging. "I want a date with Aoi."

"She's still dating that dude," Natsuki answered.

"So what?"

"That's cheating," Natsuki exclaimed, backhanding her friend's arm.

"Then I should break them up first right?" Chie asked sarcastically. It appeared to Chie that Natsuki had to let go off her views on morals to get what she wanted. "It's Hiroki Tanaka. Who gives a crap about what happens to him?"

"It's not about him, it's about her," Natsuki explained patiently. "What do you think will happen once you're done with her?"

"Uhh, I'm not sure. She'll join the ever growing Chie Harada fan club," Chie answered, causing Natsuki to slap her on the back of her head. "Ow, why do I keep asking for your help if you keep abusing me?" She asked somewhat rhetorically.

Natsuki still took it upon herself to answer. "Because you're a dumbass," she said.

"You're a good friend," Chie said with obvious sarcasm.

"I try."

Chie rolled her eyes and walked backwards back to the table. "No worries, I know what to do now," she said confidently.

"And that is not to be an ass," Natsuki muttered, following her to their seats.

"What's up?" Shizuru enquired, kissing Natsuki's cheek once she arrived. Natsuki allowed her to cuddle comfortably into her. She was sure she heard Chie scoff in the background but she ignored the tomboy and focused her attention on her doting girlfriend.

"It's nothing, just Chie being Chie," Natsuki said as if that explained everything.

"If you say so," Shizuru simply said, giving her one more kiss before turning back to the table's conversation.

Natsuki paid half of her attention to the chatter. The other half was still troubled with her friend's situation. She hadn't seen her friend show this much interest in a girl since... ever. She wasn't sure why Chie was getting so obsessed, the girl had shown nonstop devotion to trying to get with Aoi. Natsuki wasn't even sure if her friend had been on her so called 'sexcapades' since deciding to conquer Aoi. Natsuki could only name a handful of people Chie had made out/fucked with since then and that was a far lower amount than the amount of people Chie usually frolicked around with.

It was odd, to say the least. She was a little worried to see how this will turn out for her friend and even though she had spoken to the object of affection a few times, she didn't want it to be bad for her too.

Natsuki gave her friend one more side long glance before deciding not to worry over the situation anymore. She turned back to the conversation on the table.

* * *

It was a modest 9pm when the occupants of the biggest table of the restaurant decided to leave. Tate made the decision to stay behind until Mai's shift was over whilst the others were ready to head back to their respective homes. Why would they want to spend the rest of the night playing games when they could be with their lovers and girlfriends? Chie wouldn't admit it out loud but it was kind of lonely to see her friends pair off whilst she stood back. She wondered how Mikoto felt. The young girl absolutely adored Mai and loved to spend time with her yet she understood that Yuuichi needed to spend time with her too, dampening their time together.

"Hey," Chie said, wringing an arm around the black haired girl's neck. "You going home?"

Mikoto nodded vigorously, her amber eyes looking straight into Chie's with childish innocence. "Yup," she answered. "I don't have anywhere else to go so..."

Chie lovingly ruffled her hair. It was hard not to treat Mikoto like a child because it felt like she was one. Chie would joke that she had the body and personality of one but at times, the girl could be pretty mature. She fulfilled the role of the cute young sister and Chie couldn't help but feel protective.

"You're not going home," Chie resolutely said. Mikoto looked up at her curiously wondering where, other than home, she would be going. Unbeknownst to both girls, they didn't know that a third was overhearing their conversation. Aoi was walking with Miyu and Nao but wasn't really hearing their conversation, she felt a little left out because Nao was making constant innuendos to which Miyu replied.

"Am I going to my bro's house?" Mikoto asked excitedly.

"No you adorable idiot," Chie said, squeezing her neck with her arm a little. "I'm not going anywhere so why don't you just stay over the night and we can play some games or something."

Mikoto whooped and cheered. "Yeah," she said. "That sounds awesome!" She then ran off to the four freshmen, most probably to tell them of the good news. Chie grinned after her, choosing to stuff her hands in her pockets and walk alone.

Aoi glanced to her right where Nao and Miyu no longer were. She paused and looked back, only to roll her eyes when she saw the two making out heavily. It was cute that they made up and were acting all lovey-dovey but they were supposedly giving her a lift straight home upon arriving at the apartment where Miyu's car was parked. She figured that wasn't happening. Continuing on her path, she could clearly see Chie walking with her hands in her pockets and her head in the clouds. She hurried to walk alongside her.

"Hey," Aoi said softly, breaking Chie out of her daydream.

"Hi," Chie replied with a smile.

They walked on in an awkward silence for a little while until Chie broke it. Silently, Chie cursed herself for letting things get to this awkward stage. Usually she could say anything without worrying about the repercussions but now it felt like she had to watch what she say.

"So, what do you plan on doing after this?" Chie asked conversationally, waving her hand to motion to the group.

"Mmm," Aoi hummed as she thought about it. "I'll either stay at home or see Hiro."

Chie frowned at that. "That sounds like fun," she commented dryly, earning her a small shove.

"And what are you doing?" Aoi asked pointedly. "Gonna' hit up some parties or go for a quickly booty call?"

Now it was Chie's turn to shove Aoi though she did it comparably lighter. "Why do you only have a womanizer image of me in your head?" Chie said. "I mean, yeah, I have the totally dashing looks that go with it but still." She pouted.

Aoi poked at the protruding bottom lip. "Put that away," she teased.

Chie laughed and was about to reply with something most likely lecherous but Natsuki cut in from where she stood with the others at the corner of the pavement. "We're splitting up here, anyone going round Deighton house?" She asked the whole group. The four freshmen waited patiently to see who would walk with them.

"Your dorm is near theirs right? Why not go with?" Chie mumbled before stepping forward. "Mikoto and I will walk with you guys. Who knows what kind of weird old man will do to young folly like you?"

"And by 'weird old man' you mean you?" Nao sneered as she and Miyu caught up. "What's the plan?"

"Doesn't concern you. Mikoto and I are walking them lot home so you guys will probably want to walk back to Miyu's car," Chie explained snidely, a little bitter after Nao's quip.

"Wouldn't want to walk home with you if I had the choice," Nao retorted childishly.

"Now now children," Shizuru said with authority before they started a full out argument. "Let's not quarrel and just head on our way, okay?" She smiled innocently but the undertones were far from innocent.

The two bickering girls stopped and walked away from each other immediately. Even Natsuki was shaking a little. "Okay, so just you guys then?" Natsuki asked to diffuse the scary atmosphere.

"I guess," Chie shrugged, looking at Aoi.

The two groups said their goodbyes and started heading off in different directions. Chie's group were only a street away when the pattering of footsteps alerted them. They turned around and saw Aoi hurriedly walking to catch up to them.

"Hey, thought you were going to catch a ride instead," Chie called to her.

"I decided to grace you all with my presence," Aoi replied.

Chie laughed and held one arm out to her as if she should automatically walk under it. Aoi blanked her and walked in between Arika and Erstin making the other girls laugh at the denial.

"You got blatantly rejected," Nina scoffed.

Mikoto rubbed her arm to make her feel better. Mai's delicious food usually made Mikoto feel better but the young girl knew that the food wasn't anywhere near them at the moment so she resorted to her second best method, physical contact. Full on hugging wasn't really appropriate at this time.

"People are hating on me Mikoto," Chie whined, once again placing an arm around her neck.

"You're just a hateable person," Nina deadpanned.

Chie dramatically held her heart with one hand. "You're channelling Nao," she cried. "You wound me."

Nina held her emotionless stare for a few seconds before a few chuckles escaped her. It was clear that she meant no harm, she was just teasing in her brutishly blunt way.

They chattered until they came upon their first stop which was the freshmen's dorm. Chie request a goodbye hug from each of them, only getting two in reply from the less violent ones. As Aoi gave a final hug to a tearful Arika, Chie quickly pulled Mikoto aside.

"Hey, Mikoto, will you do me a favour?" She asked hurriedly, eying the two brunettes who were now pulling apart.

"Sure, what?" Mikoto answered happily, ready to help a friend out.

"When we drop Aoi off can you wait at the gate so I can walk her in?" Chie pleaded.

Mikoto agreed to it, somewhat confused. When the time came, she stood by the gate resolutely.

"I'll wait here like you told me to Chie," Mikoto said, missing Chie flinch.

Aoi looked at Chie who was avoiding her eyes. They walked in silence to the front door and when they came to a stop, Aoi turned to Chie with an impish look on her face.

"So, you wanted me alone?" She asked coyly.

And Chie couldn't help it, she had no legit counterpart to that so she blushed at getting caught out. Her blush darkened just a tad when Aoi broke into a full out grin.

"Are you blushing?" Aoi declared with a little disbelief. "My my, I don't think I've ever seen this. Maybe I should take a picture."

"Ugh," Chie groaned as Aoi laughed harder. She held her hands over her warm cheeks, wondering why her body was betraying her this way. "I'm not blushing, I don't blush," Chie explained. "I'm just warm."

She was sure that Aoi didn't believe her- definitely sure because the girl merely laughed at her reply. Chie turned away to hide her embarrassed face away from the brunette. She took a moment to gather her resolve before looking back again.

"Hey, shut up for a second, there's a reason I wanted you out here alone," Chie growled lightly.

"Oh, telling me to shut up? Maybe I should just leave," Aoi mocked, putting one hand on the door handle and beginning to open it. Chie pushed it shut again, leaving her arm to trap one of Aoi's sides.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry," Chie said, laughing a little. "Just listen to me will ya?"

"I guess I can spare you a bit of my time," Aoi sighed.

Aoi stepped forward, shortening the already small space between them. The sudden proximity made Chie a little uncomfortable, if not vulnerable because she couldn't look away nor hide her face should she ever want to.

Aoi licked her dry lips and looked up into soft chocolate brown eyes. "What did you want to say?" She asked, hands toying with Chie's open jacket.

"There's a new bar type place opening up next Saturday," Chie began. "In the bottom district. It's the opening night so I was wondering if you'd like to come with me to check it out. With me. Just me."

Aoi bit her lip hesitantly and looked down. There was a pregnant pause and that was all Chie needed to understand that the answer was a no. She let go off the door and took a step back, Aoi's hand loosely falling off her jacket.

"Okay, gonna' take that as a no," Chie laughed awkwardly. The moment was embarrassing and she covered it up in the best way that she could, by flirting. "How about you make it up to me another night," she winked, the easy grin back on her face.

Aoi smiled back. It was more comfortable to talk to this Chie, this version of her was so familiar and easy to get along with. A serious Chie was a nice surprise but a bit unnerving.

"I've made plans with Hiro next Saturday that I can't take back," Aoi explained apologetically. She took one of Chie's hands in hers and squeezed softly. "Maybe we can check out that place another day."

Chie grinned and use the girl's trapped arm to twirl her around. When the smaller girl's back was to her, Chie used her other arm to pull her into her body and trap her by the waist.

"I think you're going to have to do a lot more than that to make it up to me," Chie said, her breath tickling Aoi's ear. One hand still had a hold of hers whilst the other wrapped all around her stomach to grip her waist.

Aoi giggled and pressed her back into Chie's body, encouraging her raunchy behaviour. "You're a bit presumptuous, aren't you?" Aoi murmured, turning her head so that their lips nearly brushed.

Chie flushed in embarrassment but didn't pull back. Instead her heart skipped a beat and she took the plunge and leant in. She was met with no resistance and for one glorious split second, her heart rate spiked to dangerous levels. Her victory was short lived as Aoi forcefully elbowed her away and broke out of her grasp.

"Woah, what the heck?" Chie shot out as she stumbled back.

"What do you think you're doing?" Aoi asked, clearly scandalized. "I have a boyfriend, as you should know."

Chie shrugged nonchalantly. "So, then either stop flirting with me or break up with him if it's on your conscious," She shot back.

Under normal circumstances, she would be sure that girls would willingly leave their boyfriends for her but with Aoi, all reassurance and confidence was thrown out of the window. Her cocky demeanour came out automatically before she could even think before she spoke.

"You are impossible Chie," Aoi said, shaking her head disappointedly. "Don't talk to me."

She twirled on the spot, and her long wavy brown hair was the last thing Chie saw before the girl disappeared behind the building's front door. Chie cursed loudly and in a moment of unclear anger, punched the nearest thing which happened to be a wall. She cursed one more time and with her hand cradled against her chest, she trudged back to Mikoto.

"Are you okay?" Mikoto asked with concern, eyeing the hand that was reddening rapidly.

"Just peachy," Chie answered unconvincingly.

"If you say so..."

Chie shook her hand before stuffing it into a pocket. She had invited Mikoto over for the night and she wasn't going to bring the mood down with her troubles with Aoi. A refreshing night of gaming could wash their troubles away, with was appreciated even for a couple of hours. She threw her depressed mindset out of her head and forced herself to think about entertainment.

"I know which game we should play first," Chie began as she picked the conversation up.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Hi. I'm sorry.

If anything in this chapter is inconsistent/crap, you may send me hate messages. Just be aware that you're not invited to my hot tub party.

I was planning to rewrite a couple of scenes that I did not like but I'm not gonna' because I'm lazy. I'll do it in a couple of days. I'll feel the motivation with the chapter published rather than it sat on my piece of shit laptop.

All reviews will be replied with a 'That's right bitch' so please don't take offence.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not even this cupcake I'm eating. (Sorry mum).

* * *

**Chapter 8**

High School

* * *

It was a late August day yet the sun beat down brutally, the adamant rays did not take mercy nor relent on the fatigued Homosapiens whom took advantage of the summer day despite the heat.

One Aoi Senou laid with her back bearing against the sun as she soaked up the rays in hopes to get a nice sultry brown tan on her fair skin. Her two piece blood red bikini did little to protect her from the sun and would defeat the point of tanning should they do so.

Her dear friend reclined on a parallel deckchair, her white bikini skimpy enough to leave little tan lines that she'd be declared tanless. Though Nao's attention was neither on her tan nor her best friend, it was on her ridiculously overpriced phone which omitted beeping noises far too often for Aoi's liking.

Aoi was grateful for the Yuuki's extravagant house. It meant she could take advantage of her friend on hot days like this and make her imagine that she was on a beach. The atmosphere here was simply paradisiacal; it was as if the pool area was designed for a Greek god and Aoi did not doubt it.

The tranquil ambience was interrupted by another irritating computerized sound that finally cracked Aoi's composure.

"Are you incapable of putting that down for an hour or so?" Aoi complained. "It's seriously ticking me off and I just want some peace of mind."

To continue her angry tirade, she threw her large insectoid glasses to the side table where they clattered noisily and furiously slurped her rapidly warming soda until it was empty. Nao laughed merrily and ignored the anger.

"What's eating you?" The red head inquired, unafraid to pursue her curiosity. "You've been quite bitchy lately."

Aoi glared heatedly but Nao did not falter in front of this ravenous beast. Nao had become immune to what appeared to be an enraged Aoi due to facing her many times and building up a resistant wall.

"I just wanna' wring your scrawny little neck," Aoi mumbled testily.

Even though Aoi was radiating a deadly aura which spoke volumes of bloodthirsty intent, Nao merely waved away the animosity. Not only that but the brunette's body language was closed off and agitated, indicating that further conflict could lead to violence.

"Okay babe, what's wrong? Are you on your...?" She trailed off, eyeing Aoi's crotch pointedly.

Aoi squealed and hid her delicates by folding her hands on her lap. "Shut up your pervert, it's nothing, _nothing_, like that," she emphasized, throwing another useless glare at her.

"Alright, alright," Nao conceded before a devilish expression took over her face. "Then I guess you're a little frustrated right?"

By hanging out with Nao, Aoi had gained perspicacity into how the redhead's mind really functioned. She cautiously replied, "Why would you think that?"

"Well, judging by how your state of mind has been for the past few weeks, I'm guess that your man is not doing it for you anymore," Nao teased.

Aoi sagged, her shoulders deflating as her mood took a 180 degrees turn. "Things are fine with Hiro," she answered.

"Then it has to do with a certain girl who has been shooting you pathetic puppydog looks all week," Nao said, making a fairly accurate educated guess.

And just like that, Aoi's demeanour reverted back to its original state as she growled at the mention of a certain playgirl. Nao knew that her friend was replaying a certain memory that she had no access to and hoped to weasel some information out of her. The memory must have been very important however, because Aoi was making some very interesting faces.

There had been a few times since the start of their friendship that Nao had seen the limits to which Aoi could be pushed. She was much like the student council president in the way they both did not act like themselves, though Aoi did not go as far to shield herself as Shizuru did. Nao could boast that she knew Aoi without her facades up but only because she was a really pushy child hence why they were the best of friends. She could also read the brunette like a book so she knew exactly _who_ was on her mind.

"So it's got nothing to do with the sexy Chie Harada?"

And if Aoi knew Nao at all, she'd know that the redhead would tease her immensely before getting to the point.

"Ugh, don't say her name," Aoi groaned.

"Chie Ha-ra-da," Nao repeated. "Rolls off the tongue nicely don't you say?"

Aoi laid on her stomach, seemingly intent on ignoring Nao. She tried not to pay any attention to the name that was now prominent in her mind.

"I wonder if the rumours are true. If she is _that_ good. Shame I can't find out..."

But that was proving hard to do with Nao still talking. She turned her away from Nao and buried her head in her arms.

"Miyu's got muscle and all and they both play football together so I bet Harada's body is like hers. Mmm, I can just imagine her strong arms and firm abs."

Aoi had been enclosed in those reassuring arms many times before and the feeling had never subsided with each and every hug. As perverted as Chie's intentions were, Aoi had always felt warm with those arms around her, locking her in an embrace which she wouldn't admit was safe and secure. If Aoi had to recall that deep, husky voice whispering sensually into her ear then she would just go mad.

"Don't get me started on her voice-"

"Shut up! Okay? Just shut up, shut up, shut up!"

Nao stared at Aoi with bugged out eyes before placing a hand on her tensed arm.

"Woah, calm down before you have an aneurysm," she said. "So something did happen," she concluded.

"Nothing happened," Aoi mumbled.

Nao snickered and raised an eyebrow pointedly. "Do you want to go through that again?" She asked.

"No, I'm just- She's just... Argh, I like her. As a friend," Aoi emphasised when she saw Nao grin. "But she messed up and now I know what her intentions really are."

"To get in your panties, am I right?" Nao offered.

"Yeah," Aoi sighed. She turned over and absently looked upwards. "I knew that's what she wanted all along but I guess a small part of me hoped she was genuine."

Nao made a small consolidating noise before scooting over to her deck chair where they shuffled until they were comfortable and Nao's arms fit snugly around Aoi.

"Aww, poor you," Nao said with sympathy though she couldn't help but to add with a hint of eagerness, "Did you sleep with her?"

Aoi snorted into Nao's neck, the breath of air making Nao squirm uncomfortably.

"No, let me explain it to you."

* * *

Natsuki, with earplugs firmly wired in, bopped her head to a catchy rhythm as she turned a page in her exhilarating novel. So absorbed she was that she did not notice Chie's presence until the dark haired girl tugged an earphone out, effectively disrupting her quiet time.

"I'm bored," Chie stated, not caring about interrupting.

Natsuki rolled her eyes and dog tagged her place in the novel. She sat back, faced her friend and crossed her legs. "What happened to your lady friend who was preoccupying your time?" She asked, nodding her head at the direction of Chie's bedroom.

Chie raised a hand dismissively and said, "I'm done with her."

Natsuki frowned. "What do you want me to do? I'm hardly in the mood to entertain you."

Chie shrugged absently, indicating that she was bored enough to do whatever suggested.

"Want me to pull out my cane and top hat and do a little dance for you?" Natsuki commented dryly.

"Nrrrrgh."

"I'm sure you have a life outside of me and the girls you bring back," Natsuki continued. "Go out and do something with your other friends."

Chie made another unintelligible noise that left Natsuki exasperated. She was beginning to get a little annoyed with the other girl but out of respect for their friendship, she did not lash out.

"Are you maybe..." Natsuki trailed off, wondering if she should ask why Chie was so out of it.

"Am I what?" Chie asked, daring her to continue that sentence.

Natsuki raised an eyebrow at that. "Never mind," she said, opening her book and reading where she left off.

"No, finish that. I don't think I like what you're insinuating," Chie snarled.

Natsuki raised her hands defensively, book in one hand, and looked at her innocently. "Don't get angry when I say this," she started, noting the irony because Chie already looked pretty damn pissed off, "Are you depressed from Aoi's rejection?"

"No," Chie immediately denied. "I do not get hung over girls. What happened between Aoi and I has nothing to do with the way I'm acting. Which, by the way, is how I normally act. And she didn't reject me either."

"Chie," Natsuki said calmly. "I suggest you unclench your fists, get your breath back and sit down."

Chie was surprised to find herself in that state. She had always envisioned herself as the picture of coolness and it would take something sensitive to make her blow up like that. She was _not_ reacting like this because of Aoi's rejection- it wasn't a rejection!

"You were rambling. You don't usually ramble," Natsuki stated offhandedly.

Chie sank back in her seat and heaved out a heavy sigh. Damn it, she was depressed.

"That's an unusual noise coming from you."

Chie ignored that. "Okay, maybe whatever happened between Aoi and I is on my mind a bit," she admitted.

Natsuki patted her shoulder consolingly. "There there. Acceptance is the first stage," she said.

Chie knocked her hand away and got up. "I'm not worried about it though," she said, contradicting her earlier statement. "A few sweet words and a nice bouquet of flowers will get me back in her good books," she winked, as if she truly believed that herself.

"I'd prepare in case it doesn't go well," Natsuki said before Chie escaped. Chie led no indication that she heard her friend.

* * *

Later on that day Natsuki made her way down a path in the local town, eyes searching the names of buildings for a specific one she promised she'd meet her girlfriend in. Shizuru asked to her to meet in a small cafe for a date, one which Natsuki had no objections too. Once she'd found the quiet shop, she greeted Shizuru with a sweet kiss and ordered herself a coffee before settling down across from Shizuru.

"This is nice," Natsuki commented as she took a quick glance around.

"Yes," Shizuru agreed. "This is my personal haven, I've been coming here since I've started in this school."

Natsuki looked a little surprised and said sheepishly, "Sorry to intrude then."

Shizuru giggled girlishly and placed her smaller hand onto Natsuki's. "Silly, Natsuki is not intruding if I have personally invited her here," she answered, squeezing the warm hand.

"Oh, that's good then," Natsuki said as a comfortable silence ensued.

What worked about these two individuals was that conversation did not have to be forced upon them. Silences were warm and conversations always felt exhilarating. They cared that much about their significant other. It was times like these Natsuki could truly relax and forget all her worries, those niggling doubts were cast away. Chie's situation did concern her but now it was as if it didn't exist.

"What are you smiling about?" Shizuru inquired, matching the expression with her own.

"Nothing," she answered, almost going into a full blown grin. She let go off her drink and gripped onto her girlfriend's hand in a soothing gesture. "I'm just happy." She raised the hand to her lips and softly kissed each knuckle.

Shizuru's eyelids lowered demurely as her pupils dilated at the loving display. Natsuki recognised the familiar glint of desire in her eyes and soon realised it was also a reflection of her own. Shizuru playfully detached her hand from Natsuki's grip and trailed it over her delicate facial features, teasing her has she neared the plump lips only to retreat at playful nips.

"I was unprepared for a charming Natsuki," Shizuru admitted as she rested her hand on the cheek that would be blushing in a moment. "I'm unsure of how to proceed with this, my body is telling me to ravaging Natsuki alive but I think we should wait until we're at your apartment."

And as she foretold, Natsuki's cheeks burst into crimson.

* * *

Her gait was strong and intimidating as she strode through the busy train station. Her heels clicked against the tiled floor, making the crowd of commoners part so they would not cross the frightening woman. She wore a pencil thin skirt with an inviting slit up the sides. Her blouse was neat and pristine almost making her look like a powerful office lady. Glasses perched on the end of her nose and behind them, stone cold orbs icily scanned the area.

With a decision in mind and a firm nod, she grabbed her suitcase and baby carrier where a small infant was quietly snoozing and made her way to the exit. Hailing a cab, she told her driver to set a course towards a certain school.

* * *

Aoi walked along a street on her way home, trying to think about nothing in particular. She let her feet carry her into the general direction of her home, mind swirling in a sea of confusion about almost everything and everyone around her. She just wanted to ignore everything until the problems went away.

A distraction suddenly came in the form of a taxi cab squealing to a stop next to her. She looked on curiously as the window was quickly rolled down and the head of an older lady popped out.

"Hey kid," the woman began as she scrutinized Aoi with a critical eye. "Do you happen to go to local academy around here?"

Aoi's eyebrow twitched at the 'kid' comment but she ignored that and wondered why this older woman was asking such things. She looked to the cab driver for a clue but it seemed he was more interested in picking at his earwax.

"That I do," Aoi answered, stepping a little closer.

The lady beamed and withdrew her head. Instead she opened the door and scooted back to make space.

"Hop in, I need some directions," she said, turning away so she could fiddle with something.

Aoi looked to the cab driver for help but he was as unhelpful as ever as he only shrugged at her desperate look. "Might as well hop in," he said. "She's got a baby, can't do much harm can she?"

Aoi looked over her the woman's shoulder to see that there indeed was a baby whom the woman was currently cooing at.

"Aww!" Aoi squealed, jumping into the cab without a second thought. "She's so adorable!"

"Isn't she just?" The woman said, not objecting to Aoi's hand edging closer to the baby who gripped a finger in her tiny hands. "Say 'hello' Alyssa."

"'Iya!" The baby gurgled. "'Iya! 'Iya!"

Aoi melted into a puddle of goo all over again. "Hello," she cooed. "Aw, aren't you the cutest thing ever?"

The baby made nonsensical noises again as if to say 'Yeah, that's right' and the two women in the back of the cab continued to preoccupy themselves with Alyssa. The cab driver cleared his throat and successfully gained their attention.

"The destination?" He reminded them.

"Ah. Where is it exactly that you want to go?" Aoi asked the woman besides her.

"I'm looking for a set of apartments directly west from the campus. They aren't dormitories but I'm locating my illusive daughter and last I heard she was in a set of apartments west of the campus," she answered.

Aoi hesitated at this piece of information. Illusive daughter? Locating? Last heard? This was beginning to sound odd. Aoi removed her hand from baby and edged away a little. "Oh, I may know what you're talking about," Aoi said before gently inquiring, "Did she not tell you her address?"

"No, that damnation does everything in her power to cut me from her life," the woman growled.

Damnation? Cut her out of her life? Aoi's hand found the door handle, ready to jump out of the moving vehicle. "Sounds like she doesn't want to see you," Aoi whispered. "I know of a set of apartments close to our school." She did, and it contained the one person she didn't want to see right now but it was the safest place she could be with this mad woman wanting her to be a guide.

"Ah good. Maybe the joy of seeing her will stop me from wringing her neck," the woman said, smirking at the thought.

Aoi gulped. How had social services not taken away poor Alyssa from this woman? Aoi told the driver the address to Chie's and Natsuki's apartment and waited until they arrived.

Which did not take very long much to her displeasure. She hadn't even thought of a plan.

Aoi shakily helped the woman unload her suitcase as she was paying the driver. She began to lead the woman inside and explained how she had some friends living here who might know of her daughter. The woman accepted this and allowed herself to be shepherded inside.

Steeling herself, Aoi knocked on the door firmly. She didn't want to see Chie but if Natsuki wasn't home then that's what she will have to deal with.

They heard some shuffling and Aoi sent the woman a wobbly smile who grinned back and went back to fussing over Alyssa. Aoi almost d'aww'ed but she shook her head and reminded herself of what she was here for.

The door opened and what met Aoi's eyes shocked her. The suave girl who was normally dressed in clean crisp clothes had obviously just changed into the first thing she could find. But that wasn't what surprised her, it was the dull brown eyes and the hair which lacked life has the locks hung drearily on her head. The bags were prominent under her eyes and almost made her resemble a panda.

Those eyes narrowed as soon as the owner registered who had interrupted her afternoon but the snarky greeting died on her lips as she saw who was accompanying her.

"Mrs K?" Chie asked in disbelief, jaw dropping as the woman in question smiled happily and hugged her.

"Chie, look at how scrawny you are," 'Mrs K' gushed over Chie, holding her at arm's length to inspect her.

'Mrs K?' Aoi thought. 'Could she be...?' She took a look at that blue hair the woman was sporting and those killer jade eyes and the penny dropped. This was Mrs Kruger, Natsuki Kruger's mother. No wonder she wanted to kill her own daughter, it all made sense now. "So you're not crazy?"

"Huh?" Chie said, having been the only one to hear her say that. "Not to be rude Mrs K but what are you doing here?" She asked, her face scrunched up cutely. "And with Aoi no less. Natsuki didn't say you were coming."

Mrs Kruger laughed and pulled baby, suitcase and girl inside the apartment. "This young lady here helped me find this place. You know what that degenerate daughter of mine is like," She explained. She held up the baby carrying device to show the gurgling Alyssa who happily waved a chew toy. "Alyssa and I were getting lonely so we decided it was time we visited."

"'Iya!"

Chie grinned at Alyssa and in a manner not unlike Aoi earlier, offered her hand to be touched by the curious baby. Aoi smiled as Chie made baby noises at the giggling Alyssa. It was so adorable endearing to see.

"Chie?" A voice rang out from the depths of her bedroom.

Everyone stopped and all turned to Chie who nervously withdrew her hand from Alyssa to rub the back of her neck. Aoi inwardly shrivelled at the possibilities of who that voice was.

"Baby, are you come back to bed?" The voice asked, seductive undertones lined with a promise.

Chie anxiously stepped back and helplessly gestured to her room. "Uhh, I had company over," Chie explained uselessly.

"I can see that," Mrs Kruger said sharply, disappointment evident in her eyes. "Chie Hallard..."

Aoi sensed a motherly tirade upcoming and decided that she would ignore her own feelings of wanting to see Chie burn to a dust to assist her in her time of need.

"Mrs Kruger, why don't we get seated comfortably whilst we allow Chie to rid of her 'guest'?" Aoi offered helpfully, already ushering her to the set of sofas. "I believe I haven't introduced myself. I am Aoi Senou, classmate to Chie and Natsuki."

Mrs K nodded and sniffed unhappily as she took a seat and freed Alyssa of her baby carrying device. "Pleasure to meet you darling. Saeko Kruger, but you can call me Saeko or Mrs K," Saeko introduced herself. She placed Alyssa on her knee and Aoi immediately took a seat next to the elder Kruger so she could interact with the cherubic baby. "Are you the girlfriend Natsuki has been trying so hard to keep a secret from me?" Saeko inquired, holding in her smirk at seeing Aoi blush. Of course she wasn't the girlfriend, Saeko had seen how Aoi looked at Chie during that moment of Alyssa interaction.

"Uh, no I'm not," Aoi answered, wondering how she was going to keep Shizuru a secret until Natsuki told her mother herself. "Let me see if I can hurry Chie up so she can call Natsuki here." Aoi excused herself and led herself from one fire to another. When the hell would she stay in a frying pan?

* * *

Natsuki laughed as she fumbled with the key to her apartment building. A certain someone's wandering hands was making it hard for her to concentrate on getting the key into the hole. Natsuki shot a playful glare over her shoulder.

"Do you want to do this inside or out here?" She growled, almost turning around and taking the other woman in her arms once a kiss was placed behind her ear.

Shizuru laughed heartily and pressed herself against her girlfriend's firm body. "My my, I did not think Natsuki was so bold," Shizuru giggled, gently biting on a perky earlobe.

The bluenette sighed and turned around, pulling Shizuru to her roughly and kissing her wholly on her mouth. God, they were only out for a few hours and it had come down to this. 'Damn that provocative foreplay,' Natsuki thought, accepting Shizuru's eager tongue into her mouth. 'Okay, don't damn it. Love it, love it!'

Coherent thought gone, Natsuki pulled Shizuru tighter as she revelled in the feel of the silky tongue against hers. She wanted more of this titillating woman or else she'd explode with suppressed desire. Natsuki's hands roamed a little lower to the delicious skin that peaked out from under her skin.

The door suddenly opened and collided with Natsuki's back just as she was about to reach her destination. Usually Natsuki would bite whoever's head it was that interrupted her pleasure but with a delectable Shizuru to focus her attention on, her attitude took a 180 turn and she allowed the moment to pass.

"Jeeze, get a room," some girl said as she flounced past.

Natsuki grinned and caught the door before it shut. "I think I can do that," she called, pulling Shizuru into the building.

It wasn't long until they were in a similar position outside Natsuki's apartment door. Shizuru moaned openly as Natsuki held her up against the door. Her feet weren't even touching the floor anymore, they were wrapped around Natsuki's waist as the other girl lavished her collarbone and chest with attention. The only thing keeping her up was the body against hers and strong hands that held her thighs.

"Let me just..." Natsuki grumbled, breaking away a moment so she could try to open her door.

Shizuru grabbed the back of her love's head and pulled roughly so that Natsuki's face was facing her own once more. Not caring that they were in the hallway, she bit Natsuki's lip roughly.

Despite sexy distraction, Natsuki managed to open the door, a level up from the apartment block door where she had to be hit by a door to get her out of this sexual lust, and carried Shizuru inside only to trip over something and come crashing to the floor.

"Shit, are you okay?" She asked as she hovered over her girlfriend's body.

"Never better," Shizuru replied as she pulled Natsuki back to continue devouring her lips.

Natsuki kicked the door shut and was acutely aware that her roommate may be present. "Wait, wait," she panted, struggling not to just take Shizuru on the floor. "I've got to get rid of Chie first."

Shizuru nodded obediently and cupped Natsuki's cheeks to bring her down for one last tender kiss until the coast was sufficiently clear. The conflict within Natsuki was clear as she battled with her will. She closed her eyes to clear her head for a moment.

"She's not the only one you'll have to get rid of," A voice piped up.

Natsuki's eyes opened and Shizuru could see the dread so clearly in her love's jade coloured eyes.

"Mom?" Was the startled whimper from Natsuki's lips and Shizuru's head shot up quickly to meet the eyes of the eldest Kruger.

Shit was about to go down.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Blud, when you're sat there with the word document opened for months and not typing a thing then you know you just gotta submit the chapter as it is.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Mai HiME. I did own a figurine of Natsuki once but it broke in the hands of a younger cousin.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**High School**

* * *

Chie sat back and observed as the drama exploded around her. As Natsuki and Shizuru became painfully aware of the spectators to their vigorous affections, they immediately separated and tried their hardest to salvage the situation. The major altercation followed with a stone faced Natsuki up against the stone faced Saeko whilst Shizuru excused herself to visit the ladies room. By that Chie assumed she went to have her meltdown in private.

She was glad she wasn't included in this face off as she was sure the Saeko would have absolutely torn her apart after they were made aware of Kieko's appearance. If that was the girl's name at all; she found that couldn't remember. She only knew that nibbling on her neck pleased her immensely.

Instead, she and Aoi were being ignored as mother and daughter stared each other down. She didn't mind because she had found great amusement in watching Aoi as she submitted to the cuteness that was Alyssa.

As if knowing she was being thought about, Alyssa turned to Chie and held her arms out. "Da," she stated simply.

Chie grinned. Aoi wasn't the only one who had succumbed to the cherubic little angel. Taking this opportunity, Chie sidled closer to Aoi till their knees were brushing. She almost smirked at Aoi's tense frame but instead focused her attention on the baby.

"C'mere," she muttered, taking Alyssa into her arms.

Immediately the infant latched onto her spectacles, gripping them sloppily in her tiny hands.

"Oh, so that was what you were after," Chie conversed as if Alyssa could understand.

Moving forward, she blew a wet raspberry on the baby's soft cheek. Alyssa's happy giggle rang in the silent room, breaking the stupor the two other Kruger's were in. Natsuki looked at Alyssa almost vacantly, as if she never noticed her.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

The blush on her cheeks had not yet died down and Shizuru was still taking her time to compose herself. She could not look at her mother in her eyes without the humiliation of her actions bubbling in her gut. She could not even imagine how her girlfriend was feeling right now. Shizuru loved to please people and she was probably feeling a whole lot more discontent with this than Natsuki was. All she wanted to do was curl up with her girlfriend's arms around her. Alone.

"Why are you being so cold? I've just come to see how you were doing," Saeko answered. "You never tell me anything over the phone. How else am I supposed to get information from you?"

Aoi stood up, bringing Chie and Alyssa with her. "We'll give you some privacy," she explained at their questioning looks, beginning to lead Chie out of the room.

Before getting to Chie's room they saw Shizuru leaving the bathroom. Aoi sent what she hoped was a look a reassurance but Shizuru merely nodded blankly and went to the living room to face the music.

Aoi pulled Chie into her room and shut the door behind her. She sat alongside Chie on the edge of her bed and sighed long and deep.

"Glad we're not in the shit storm," Chie commented, trying to avoid getting poked in the eye by her own glasses.

Aoi slapped Chie on her shoulder. "Watch your language around Alyssa," she scolded her.

Chie shrugged and held Alyssa up close. "Don't worry about it, she's too young to pick it up," she said as Alyssa bit her nose with toothless gums. "Ain't that right Alyssa?" She blew another raspberry on Alyssa's cheek which didn't fail to amuse her.

Aoi smiled and ran her fingers through Alyssa's thin blonde locks, making the infant stare upwards in wonder. "She still might copy what you say," she said. She looked at Chie. "You're getting along with Alyssa surprisingly well," she noted.

Chie smirked and nudged the brunette playfully. "You like that," she teased, earning an eye roll from the subject of her affections.

"I don't like it," Aoi denied.

"Then you hate it," she continued. "You want something to justify your dislike of me and this is isn't it. Bet you were hoping I hated kids." Chie didn't drop the joking tone but it was clear she was being serious.

Aoi frowned and looked down at her feet. "I don't dislike you," she said, rubbing her toes together. "I just think you're an asshole most of the time."

Chie laid her cheek on top of Alyssa's head. "I thought we agreed to not use bad words in front of this one."

"Fine. You're arrogant, impulsive, ignorant and rude," Aoi said.

Chie shrugged as if she didn't care. "That's only most of the time though. The other times?" She probed.

Aoi laughed and stood up. "Oh no, I'm not saying anything to boost your ego."

Chie stood up with her, bringing Alyssa up with her. "If not for my ego then for my self-confidence," she teased "You've just called me five very negative words in under a minute, I think I need the esteem boost."

"How cute, with the way you try and compromise," Aoi said, folding her arms defensively.

Chie hid a smile. "You think I'm cute?" She asked.

"I never said that," she denied, shaking her head as if that was helping her case. "I was being sarcastic."

"Nuh-uh," Chie let the smile illuminate her face. She happily twirled Alyssa around. "She thinks I'm cuuuuuute."

Aoi sighed in defeat and sat back down. "You're only cute because you've got Alyssa in your hands," Aoi said smartly. "I'm sure if Shiho held Alyssa then I'd probably think she was cute too."

Chie joined her, putting Alyssa on the bed so she could crawl around interrupted. They both turned to each other so they could continue talking and watch over Alyssa simultaneously.

"How did Miyu take it when she found out about her and Nao?" Chie asked, dragging Alyssa back by her leg once she strayed too close to an edge. She tickled a foot to make up for disrupting the young child's adventures on the rumpled duvet.

Aoi bit her lip guiltily and looked away. Chie looked at her weirdly until realisation set in. She groaned and let herself fall on her bed, much to Alyssa's delight who grabbed at her face.

"There's too much drama in the world," she said, holding her bangs away from her forehead.

"I agree," Aoi concurred, joining Chie except she leant on an elbow. "But if I recall correctly, you are the one who starts things too."

Chie frowned at the accusation. "Me? When have I purposely started thing," she argued, getting a bit riled up. "I've been honest."

Aoi blushed and distracted herself with the Alyssa while mulling things over in her head. "I can think of one instance..." She trailed off, reminiscing about the memory that caused a rift between them. It wouldn't have been an unpleasant memory, if she wasn't with Hiroki, if Chie wasn't such a womanizer, if she wasn't so confused... She said no more, unable to speak of how she was feeling.

Chie was equally as silent. It was obvious from the way her eyebrows furrowed cutely and how she wasn't reacting to Alyssa vehemently slamming her face with her own glasses that Chie was contemplating deeply about this.

"Like I said, I've been honest," Chie repeated, focusing her attention on Alyssa instead as a way to deflect. She picked her up and hugged her tightly.

Aoi fully laid down and stared at the two playing. She was aware that Chie was uncomfortable under her gaze but she didn't care, it helped her think. After a few moments of watching Chie awkward fidget, she ruffled Alyssa's hair. It was almost as relaxing as petting a dog or a cat.

"You may have been honest but you weren't clear," Aoi finally spoke.

Chie didn't take the prompt and ignored her, still fiddling with Alyssa. Aoi gently took the infant into her arms.

"Chie," she urged, looking deep into those stone cold eyes. "What do you want with me?"

The hope inside those doe eyes unnerved Chie. Hope for what? What was it that Aoi wanted to hear? And would that correlate with how Chie felt? With an aggressive sigh Chie sat on the edge of the bed with her heads in her hand.

"Too much drama for sure," Chie said softly.

At the feel of someone tugging at her shirt, she turned and looked at little Alyssa who gazed up at her happily, ignorant of the tension in the room. She picked her up and held her gently. Alyssa cuddled into her warmth with the glasses still in hand. Her striking blue eyes began drooping shut and she yawned cutely.

Chie repositioned her arms to comfortably accommodate the young'un. "What I'd take to be as innocent as this one again," Chie said, her voice gentle.

Behind her, Aoi said nothing and Chie assumed she was angry at her avoiding the admittance of her feelings. She was about to turn around and apologise when she suddenly felt arms wrap themselves around her neck. That was followed by a head resting itself on her shoulder. The warm body of Aoi melded against her back and Chie closed her eyes and laid her head against Aoi's.

This was comfortable. Safe. Innocence in her hands; wrapped by reassurance.

"I like you," Aoi confessed first, feeling a weight lift itself of her chest. "A lot."

Chie's cheek's warmed and she was glad Aoi couldn't see her.

"I-" Her voice broke and she embarrassedly cleared her throat. "I like you too."

She felt the arms tighten and she smiled. Unsure of what to say next, she settled for cuddling closer. Aoi turned her head so that her nose and lips brushed against Chie's neck. Smelling that sweet fragrance that the charcoal haired girl only omitted, Aoi bravely opened her mouth to say more.

Sadly, she was beat by a quiet knock on the door. She frowned and told whoever it was to come in after sitting back on her knees.

"My room remember," Chie reminded her teasingly, earning a small amused smile.

Natsuki popped her head in. "You can come out now," she said.

Chie noted that her friend looked weary, like she needed a nap. Stress lines made themselves apparent, uncommon for a young girl like her.

"Has the raging storm calmed?" Chie asked quietly, following her into the living room with the snoozing Alyssa in her arms.

"Yeah, she's cool with everything," Natsuki answered as she rubbed her brow wearily and led them to the sofas. Chie gulped as Saeko none too subtly looked between her and Aoi.

* * *

An hour later and the girls who remained in Saeko's company were faring better than before.

Despite the earlier subtle looks, Saeko had not trod upon that topic which Chie was thankful for. But Chie knew Saeko well, she was like a hound dog who could pick up on any scent of misgivings. There was glint in her eyes that spoke promises of further investigation once they were alone.

As Chie was being the object of Saeko's attention, Natsuki took this opportunity to look her girlfriend in the eye and nod her head to her bedroom.

Shizuru nodded and they both slipped out quite easily, making it to the privacy of Natsuki's bedroom where Shizuru was engulfed in Natsuki's arms.

"That was the most horrible way to meet your mother," Shizuru spoke into Natsuki's hair. It was hard to be engulfed in your girlfriend's arms when she was quite the shortstack.

Natsuki pulled back and kissed her softly, trying to send through reassurance and love. If it was working, Natsuki didn't know but it was proving a good distraction. Or so she thought until Shizuru moved away and sighed.

"We should return," she said, cupping Natsuki's cheeks to place a chaste kiss before moving to the door.

"Wait," Natsuki said quickly. "Do you maybe want to leave instead? You're not forced being to stay."

Shizuru bit her lip as she thought about it before finally nodding. Natsuki's heart sank a little, thinking that her mother scared her off.

"Okay, let's go," Natsuki said with a little dejection.

She led her to the door, explaining to her mother that she was dropping her off. Saeko, much to their surprise, gave Shizuru a hug and a smile and sent her on her way. Shizuru raised an eyebrow at Natsuki who smiled back wobbly yet Shizuru was sharp enough to catch the unease lurking there.

As they left, Chie shot Saeko an uneasy look, knowing that the woman would begin to pry.

"So Chie, that young women who we met earlier," Saeko began and Chie cursed herself for being right. "Was she a girlfriend?"

"Uh..." She mumbled, wondering how she was going to get herself out of this mess.

* * *

Natsuki pulled her bike to a gentle stop, turning off the engine once she was sure they were stationary. She courteously held out a hand and helped Shizuru off the vehicle. She wondered if she should get off too but elected to stay on in the end.

"That was horrible," Natsuki commented, specifically targeting today's earlier events. "I could have done without that."

Shizuru laughed and squeezed a bicep affectionately. "It wasn't that bad," she said, shuffling back onto the unsteady motorbike to sit half in her girlfriend's lap and half on the motorcycle's petrol tank.

Natsuki sighed and gently rested her head against Shizuru's shoulder. '"It wasn't that bad,"' she repeated to herself. Well, the brunette was sort of right in that regard, it could have been a lot worse. "You're right. She's supportive at least. A little too supportive," she concurred. "She hasn't made you... Erm..." She trailed off, waiting for the right word to come to her. "Do you like her?"

Shizuru pulled back from the little embrace to look her girlfriend squarely in the eyes. She could see the anxiety creeping around in those emerald eyes she loves and it made her frown. "I think she is lovely," she said honestly, seeing the edginess ease into surprise. "I just wish we had met under better circumstances, such as when I am not about to tear her daughter's clothes off."

The words had their desired effect and Natsuki's unease was forgotten as she registered her devious girl's words. "Oh god, you..." She moaned, feeling the heat spread across her face. She dropped her head back onto Shizuru's shoulder. "Stop teasing me like that."

Shizuru laughed merrily and placed an adoring kiss to the bluenette's crown. "But it's so amusing seeing crimson on Natsuki's cherub cheeks," Shizuru said, shuffling a little more in her seat so she could wrap her arms around Natsuki's lithe body. "Now, do you think your mother won't mind if I steal you away for a couple of minutes?" Shizuru asked cheekily, slipping a hand under Natsuki's shirt.

* * *

The awkward tension that ensued after Saeko's prying question could have been cut with a knife. Chie was would never answer that question with a straightforward reply, least of all with Aoi sat right here with them but this certain mother was her weakness.

"Not quite," Chie mumbled, hoping to pass that off as an adequate reply.

Saeko's ears twitched at that. "What was that?" She asked, barely suppressing a smirk.

Chie repeated what she said slightly louder and shot Aoi a slightly guilty look. Not that the other girl saw it, she was too busy moping about the reminder of Chie's earlier conquest.

"Oh Chie," Saeko sighed in that mom tone, making her wince.

Chie guiltily rubbed her head. "Not now Aunt Saeko," she pleaded, inclining her head at Aoi so her best friend's beloved mother would get the hint.

She understood the hint; she just chose to ignore it instead. "I thought you were going to get serious," she said, making them both recall the conversation they had before Chie and Natsuki had moved away from home. She did warn them to concentrate on their studies. "Haven't you found a steady girlfriend yet?"

Aoi who was disinterestedly looking at her nails suddenly stood up and motioned to the door. "This seems like a conversation you'd want in private," she explained. "I'd better get home anyway, it's very late."

Saeko, who was going to play oblivious spectator to her surrogate daughter's love troubles, also got the hint here that Aoi was unhappy and perhaps uncomfortable being privy to such a confidential conversation but like she did with Chie, she ignored her.

"Nonsense," she said, waving for the brunette to sit back down who did as ordered. Saeko so badly wanted to chuckle evilly for the plans she had in store for this young budding couple but she held in the desire to do so until she was behind closed doors. "A young lovely girl such as yourself may provide some insight to Chie's relationship problems," Saeko commented flippantly. She innocently batted her eyelashes and asked, "Would you date Chie judging on the qualities and personality you have seen thus far?"

Aoi froze and looked at Chie who strangely did not object to Saeko's questioning. She didn't look like she was waiting to hear the compliments that would undoubtedly swell her ego. Instead, she seemed genuinely interested in the answer. Aoi summarized that this may have been because of the events that took place in the bedroom earlier on in the evening.

There were two possible answers. She could say that Chie wasn't datable, that she was a lousy partner due to her constant flirting and debauchery. That was sort of true but it would crush any hopes of a possible coupling. Or she could say that Chie was datable. She was very loving (i.e. horny) and nurturing (i.e. horny), wasn't she? She was sure that saying this would feed Chie's ego and allow her to think that she could sleep with Aoi and get away with it. She didn't want that at all.

"I think if she were to commit herself to one girl and not flirt shamelessly with others," she broke off to give the girl in question a pointed glare, "Then she would be the model girlfriend."

Saeko chuckled despite the tension. "Do you hear that Chie?" She said. "You could be Aoi's girlfriend if you took care of your flaws." The two young'uns looked horrified much to Saeko's pleasure.

"That's... That's not what I meant," Aoi stuttered, mortified to hear that said out loud.

"Oh? I'm sorry," Saeko feigned ignorance. "But wouldn't you like to be Chie's girlfriend if she were to sort out her flaws?"

Aoi blushed and shot a nervous glance at Chie. Mrs Kuga sure didn't beat around the bush. "I have a boyfriend," she said, hoping that would quell the older woman's questioning.

"Oh," Saeko said, a little dumbfounded at the answer. "OH," She said again, shooting a look at Chie. "Well regardless of boyfriend, would you date Chie?" She repeated the question, firm on getting an answer.

She wasn't giving up, Aoi realised, and Chie was staying curiously silent too which meant that she had to give an answer. Heck, she was the first to initiate the confession in the bedroom earlier, why was she being forced to do it again now? "It would take a whole load of courting for me to become Chie's girlfriend," she said. That was a somewhat neutral answer and should placate the nosy two.

"Wow Chie, you're going to have to fight hard for this one," Saeko teased, enjoying their reactions.

Chie blushed and stood up. "I need a drink," she explained, already backing away. "Anybody want anything?"

Aoi shook her head to indicate 'no' and Saeko requested a glass of water. Once she had left the room completely, Saeko sidled up to Aoi and feigned innocence. "She's tricky that one," she said casually, brushing invisible lint off her trousers.

Aoi narrowed her eyes at the older woman. She was still up to something. "I guess so?" She asked, more than said.

"When she does find a relationship worth keeping, she always ends up screwing up and pushing the lucky lady away," Saeko commented idly. "It takes a special someone to make her like, even more special to stick with her through this."

Aoi gulped and stood up. "I'm going to go see where Chie is with that drink," she said, quickly walking away before Saeko could answer. She missed the gleeful look that passed Saeko's face.

* * *

Natsuki took a deep breath as she stood outside her door before finally sticking her key into the lock. D-Day was here. Shizuru wasn't present to take some brunt of the blows so that would make her the target of her mother's sharp tongue. Yes, she wasn't ashamed to admit that she would use Shizuru as a shield any day. It was about time Shizuru was brought down a peg or two with her equal in her favourite hobby: the art of teasing. Once her girlfriend was comfortable with her mom, she hoped to see some blushes (not the sexual kind she could get when in bed), but actual embarrassed blushes. And not at her expenses either.

'Knowing mom she'd find a way to include me anyway,' Natsuki thought begrudgingly as she finally opened the door.

After being greeted with silence, she cautiously stepped in and shrugged off her jacket. 'Well here goes nothing.' With that she stepped into the twilight zone. In lieu of all that happened today, Natsuki thought she would be able to handle her mother. Clearly she was wrong.

"Well, well. I wouldn't have waited up for you if I knew you wanted to stay and indulge in some 'personal' time with Shizuru," Saeko commented once she saw Natsuki.

Natsuki surrendered to the blush and dropped herself in a couch across from Saeko. "Shut up," she moaned half heartedly, not finding the strength in her to deny the allegation.

"Oh child, it's no fun when you give in so easily," Saeko said, frowning at her defeatist daughter.

"Between you and Shizuru I'm not sure how you expect me to put up with the teasing," Natsuki sighed.

Saeko perked up at the change of the topic. She felt like Natsuki had endured enough of the sly comments for the day. It was late and the chat was long overdue, she was going to give her honest opinion of the young lady that had occupied her eldest daughter's life.

"How in the world have you managed to convince a young dignified lady such as Shizuru to date you?" Saeko asked rather bluntly.

"Thanks for that," Natsuki muttered.

"Oh no no dear, that's not quite what I meant," Saeko backtracked before reconsidering her words. "Well sort of. That girl has the etiquette and manners fit for an emperor."

Natsuki smirked and only disagreed with one thing; her girlfriend was fit for an empress. She was delightfully gay, more so than Natsuki was if gay could be put on a scale.

"I think it had to do with my rugged good looks and disarming smile," Natsuki answered flippantly, adding in a superficial swipe of the hair in for good measure.

"No, I'm sure that wasn't it," Saeko laughed. "You couldn't the charm the pants of a paid prostitute if you tried."

Natsuki groaned and sunk into her seat, unbelieving that her mother actually said that. "Ma, never ever speak like that around Shizuru," she pleaded. "I don't need her to know how crazy you are."

"Of course she'd never find out," Saeko admonished. "As if I'd ever mislead a young dignified lady such as herself-"

"Stop calling her that," Natsuki interrupted. "She's a closet pervert you know. In fact, I'd love for you to rough her up a bit, just not enough to make her break up with me. She likes you for some reason."

Saeko perked up at this. Permission to tease her future daughter-in-law was always good. "I have many things in store for her," Saeko said seriously.

They both sat in silence, enjoying the mother-daughter atmosphere that had unfolded upon them. Saeko broke it first by asking, "So, should I prepare an extra plate during family dinners then?"

Natsuki laughed and answered honestly. "Maybe," she said. "She hasn't run away yet at least."

Saeko moved from her sofa to sit next to her look-a-like, all the while making sure the snoozing Alyssa was in her view. She placed her arms around Natsuki and coddled her before she could protest.

"Now my sweet child, any more of this self-deprecation and you'll have enough content to write a book," Saeko said. "You don't want 12 year old girls after you because you're very broody and handsome do you?"

Natsuki snorted but didn't say anything as Saeko hands started roaming through her hair. The woman knew her weakness and wasn't afraid to exploit it. Natsuki's eyes immediately shut as the soothing sensation dulled her senses. They both shifted until Natsuki's head was in her mother's lap and her legs dangling over one edge of the sofa.

"You have many redeeming qualities, and maybe all mothers say this but Shizuru is very lucky to have you," Saeko said fondly. "You're probably one hell of lover- Well, guessing from what I saw, she sure as hell was moaning for you."

"Moooom," Natsuki groaned, placing her hands over her flaming face but not moving away from her mother's hands. "All mothers do not say that. They don't mention it, at all!"

Saeko snickered but added no words, instead continuing with her comforting motions. They were interrupted by Chie and Aoi finally submerging from the kitchen.

"I'm not surprised to see you giving in to the pampering already," Chie laughed. Natsuki shot her the royal salute in retaliation but that only gained her a light slap on the forehead by Saeko. "Well I'm going to walk Aoi home, it's pretty late and her loser boyfriend isn't showing up," Chie said, who in turn earned herself a slap on the arm by Aoi.

They all said their goodbyes, Aoi taking a little longer to coo over the snoozing Alyssa, and the two girls left the house.

Saeko laughed gently and said, "Those two would make a lovely couple."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Contrary to popular belief, some mothers are okay with their children's sexual orientation :P

I really haven't had the motivation for writing this until my dad bought me Blackberry, even though I didn't really need one (I was happy with my cheap Nokia). The keypad + memo pad made a great combination and I wrote most of this chapter in between classes on my phone over the course of a couple of weeks.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I will take full responsibility for the tardiness of this chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**High School**

* * *

Chie quickly pushed Aoi out the door before Saeko had any more comments to offer, or worse, propose to tagalong. She obviously read the atmosphere between Aoi and Chie correctly and making the two young women uncomfortable was just the type of activity she was prone to do do.

"How did you manage to get caught up in all that?" Chie asked once they were in the sanctity of the outside.

Aoi huffed as she recalled the evening. "I was walking home from Nao's when Mrs Kuga pulled up next to me in a taxi. She dragged me in when she heard I went to the same school as her daughter. At this point I didn't know who her daughter was and she was saying all this things about how she wanted to kill Natsuki and strangle her," Aoi said dramatically, gesturing wildly with her hands. "So I thought I'd come to your apartment because it's relatively close to the school. I was hoping Natsuki would restrain her if Mrs Kuga went crazy or something because Natsuki is strong. Turns out Natsuki was her daughter and then suddenly everything made sense."

Chie pouted a little towards the end of the story. "You didn't think I'd be able to handle her?" She asked, a little miffed that she wasn't considered strong.

"Maybe if you had a weapon or something but you've been so emo lately I thought you'd let her kill you," Aoi answered honestly. Hey, she was only trying to kill two birds with one stone here. There were problems that needed to be addressed.

"Don't blame a girl if she's feeling a little down after a rejection," Chie joked, although the hurt from it was still lingering in the air.

Aoi smirked a little at the comment. Thanks to Chie's jovial nature, the premises of the situation had taken a humorous tone. It made approaching the situation easier for them.

"If you thought I'd just kiss you then you were wrong," Aoi shot back. "I'm not a cheater."

"Hey now," Chie began, defensively raising her arms as they took a left in the street. "You led me on."

"I did not lead you on," Aoi argued. She hesitated as she thought about it. "Well maybe I did tease you a little but not any more so than I do with the rest of my friends," she said. "Besides, I've said many times before that I will not cheat."

They walked along in a foreboding silence after that, the incident looming over their heads. So much for the humorous tone. Chie wanted to so badly ask if she wasn't worth leaving a spouse for, if Aoi would consider her in that way but she was afraid of what she might hear.

Hearing this rejection would be way worse than that time Aoi rejected her in their freshmen year. Chie was young then and so flighty when it came to girls that she hadn't bothered on so much as what they wanted to what she had wanted. She was different now, she got to know most of the women she had relations with. Heck she was still friends with several of her past women. Friends who offered special benefits maybe but that was still a step up from her younger days.

Yes, she was no longer immature but the potential of this relationship was nothing like her previous endeavours. She got to know Aoi this time, whether it was from accidental coincidences to carelessly planned meetings. In the past she had just strolled up to her and attempted to charm her right then and there without any concern over who Aoi was. Now she hung out with her, had fun conversations with her and even had the same circle of friends. She had a lot riding out over this. Her feelings were one thing, but their group's dynamics were another. See, she wasn't selfish all the time.

Before they knew it, they were stood in the front of Aoi's apartment block.

"So here we are," Chie stated obviously. "All safe and sound. Looks like your boyfriend has something to thank me for."

"It wasn't his fault he was held up," Aoi defended him. "Besides, your company wasn't absolutely necessary though I suspect you invited yourself to escape Mrs Kuga's inquiries on your life."

Chie laughed because that seemed entirely possible. "Maybe..." She trailed off. She took a step away from Aoi. "I should head back."

Aoi hesitated for a second, waiting for Chie to say anything else she'd like to say. When it became clear that she wasn't going to add anything, Aoi let out a small sigh. They hadn't gotten anywhere.

"Okay then, I'll see you later. Or not," she snapped, turning on her heel.

Chie felt the phrase 'taking one step forward, two steps back' could be applied to her life lately. Well today she would stop that. Aoi will not be another disappointment to mark on her list.

"Hold up," Chie said, grabbing her wrist before she could escape. "I believe we still have some things to talk about."

Aoi opened her mouth as if to speak, or leave a nasty comment, but Chie cut her off before she could start. "I know the way I show my affection does make me seem like I flirt with every feminine form that enters my view. I like to tease and joke around because that's who I am," Chie began, a sudden surge of confidence appearing in that instance. "But let me make it perfectly clear: I like you. I may have begun this as a harmless tease but it's escalated into something more okay?" Aoi wouldn't be able to stop her now, Chie had a lot to get off her chests, things she didn't realise until now. "I don't know how to deal with this and I'm just doing the best thing I know and what people expect of me."

Suddenly bewildered by that revelation, she felt the excitement leave her body, draining her of her confidence. She had said too much and had to get out of there. "Look... Just forget it, I'll go." And she turned and hightailed it out of there, ignoring Aoi's stare boring into her back.

She had said her piece and more than what was expected. The ball was in Aoi's court, she had the choice of doing what she wanted with the information.

* * *

The next day came far too early. The morning begun with Alyssa's piercing scream penetrating everything with eardrums. Natsuki mumbled from her place on the couch, the same lumpy couch she opted to throw out yet Chie kept. She courteously allowed her mother and sister to take her bedroom and she decided the couch was a better alternative to Chie's STD infested bed. It was unlikely to be infested but Natsuki had her doubts.

Her bedroom door opened and the screaming became louder. She could hear her mother trying to hush Alyssa with no lucky as she took her into the kitchen to warm up some milk, or so Natsuki presumed. She hasn't been a stable figure in her little sister's life so she had no idea how babies operated. They pooped, they cried, they slept; that much she was aware of.

She closed her heavy eyes yet couldn't fall back into slumber with the interruption still going on. Sighing, she decided to get up to see if she could assist in any way. She may not know how babies worked but she could try. She trudged to the kitchen where Saeko balanced the bawling Alyssa with one arm whilst she expertly warmed up the milk with the other.

"Do you need any help?" Natsuki grumbled loudly to be heard over Alyssa.

Saeko smiled apologetically as she stirred the milk. "No dear, I'll be done very soon. You were much worse than this you know," she said.

"Sorry," Natsuki shrugged, stepping closer. Really, what else could she say to that?

Alyssa quietened down as her large blue eyes focused on the intruder. She made a whimpering noise as she held out a hand, grabbing at the air between her and Natsuki.

"Aw, she wants you to hold her," Saeko cooed, angling Alyssa so Natsuki could easily take her.

The snot and tears was still dribbling charmingly. Natsuki wanted to run away; she had only held Alyssa for a total of 3 times in her life and all times was against her will. She couldn't hold a baby, she remembered, Alyssa squirmed uncomfortably in her arms until Natsuki was forced to put her down or hand her off. If Saeko remembered this, she gave no indication and gently encouraged Natsuki to take her.

"Please, while I make her a snack," she begged, just as Alyssa started whimpering louder.

With a sigh, Natsuki hooked her hands under Alyssa's pudgy arms and hoisted her up into the air. With precision taught from what she had seen on TV, she hooked her right arm under the tiny booty and used the left to cradle her body. Immediately Alyssa latched on to her sleeping shirt and rubbed her face on it.

"Oh god," Natsuki blurted, cringing at the stain she left behind.

"You can start complaining once you get baby sick in your hair. Until then, shut up," Saeko chided playfully.

The disgust didn't leave Natsuki's face and Saeko couldn't help but abandon the stove for a moment to hug her two girls.

"Wish I had a camera to take a picture of you two," she said, kissing Natsuki's cheek.

There was a clicking noise and both looked to the doorway of the kitchen where Chie stood with her phone pointed at them.

"Done," she announced simply, chuckling at the glare Natsuki shot her.

"You'll have to give me that picture later," Saeko said, returning to the stove.

"Of course," Chie answered, walking up to Natsuki and swinging an arm around her shoulders. "Well don't you two look adorable?" Natsuki shrugged the arm off and offered Alyssa to her. "Nah, think of this as practice for when you make those Shizuki babies."

Saeko laughed loudly, not even needing to turn around to know her daughter was either glaring or blushing. Probably both. Alyssa began whimpering again and Natsuki tried shushing her, which failed. The tears reappeared in those large innocent eyes and Natsuki tried handing her back to her mom.

"Bounce her a little please, I'm almost done," Saeko said, whisking the milk into a bottle.

Natsuki did as she was told and soon found herself feeding Alyssa who was now pacified as she drank with much gusto. Natsuki finally relaxed when she realised she was out of the danger zone.

"Can you take her now?" Natsuki asked stiffly.

Saeko laughed and backed away from her. "No Natsuki. You've hardly spent any time with your little sister since she was born," she said, making sure Natsuki didn't escape.

There was another click and Natsuki turned towards Chie grumpily. "Oh, that one was cute," Chie said as she studied the picture. "Shizuru will be pleased to see this."

Natsuki stalked over to her, intent on inflicting harm. Her arms were preoccupied with a baby but that didn't mean she didn't have other methods so she used her legs and kicked Chie on her shin.

"Ow," Chie cursed, hoping on her functional leg.

"Natsuki, that was not a nice thing to do," Saeko reprimanded, thinking that Natsuki still had her five year old self locked inside of her.

"I'm not a nice person," Natsuki said snidely.

"Shizuru thinks you're nice enough," Saeko shot back quickly.

Sometimes Natsuki wished she could kick her mother.

"Well you guys," Chie interrupted, looking intently at her phone. "I'm not sure what Shizuru is doing awake at-" A quick glance at their rarely used oven timer, "-4:54am but she wants more pictures pronto."

* * *

It was well into the afternoon when Saeko initiated her attack on Chie. She gathered that her presence there stopped Chie for going on her nightly tirades that Saeko was well aware of. Her presence was a good thing if it meant that Chie would stay indoors more she reasoned. She couldn't attack head on, that would make her surrogate daughter defensive and angst ridden.

"When will I meet the rest of your friends Natsuki?" Saeko asked suddenly.

They were all sat on the couches in the living room, Alyssa sprawled out on the floor in front of them as she fiddles with her toys. The majority of their day had been spent inside so far and Saeko was bored. She caught up on her daughters school work, pleasantly finding out that she was doing well in her studies. It was time to play now.

"You've already met Shizuru, wasn't that enough?" Natsuki moaned from her individual couch.

"That was your girlfriend," Saeko explained, pulling Alyssa back as she begun to stray. "Please tell me you have friends outside of Shizuru and Chie."

"She does, sort of," Chie said, coming to her friend's aide. "You should let her meet Mai," she said to Natsuki.

"I guess," Natsuki said, still not happy about the idea.

"What kind of company do you keep that you're not okay with me meeting?" Saeko asked, wondering if Natsuki had got herself involved with the Yakuza or something.

"No, it's not like anything you're thinking," Natsuki answered, rolling her eyes knowing that Saeko was probably exaggerating again. "I know you're going to embarrass me, or at least try to, so you understand why I'm reluctant to let you meet anyone."

"Perish the thought," Saeko said, grinning at Chie who knew that's what she'd exactly do.

Natsuki didn't buy it for one second but decided that out of all of her friends, Mai was the one who'd take any teasing in stride. Well, it was either her or Miyu and Miyu wouldn't provide much conversation.

"I'll call Mai and see if she wants to come over tonight. Let's hope she's not working tonight," Natsuki said, flipping through her phone contacts.

She selected Mai and a small conversation ensued. Mai freaked out over meeting Natsuki's mother and convince Natsuki to come over to her house later where Mai will have a cooked dinner for them. Chie was invited by default. Eating out was a good idea seen as though Natsuki wouldn't be able to cook a big meal and ordering takeout wouldn't put her in her mother's good graces.

She closed her phone and smiled, or more accurately grimaced, at her mom.

"We have a dinner reservation in the Tokiha household at seven today," Natsuki announced, taking her place on her couch.

"Well she sounds lovely," Saeko said. "I'm a good judge of character you know so I hope you haven't lied to me about her."

Natsuki closed her eyes. "I do not lie about anyone. She's nice, but her tagalongs are annoying," she explained.

"Okay. Will Aoi be there?" Saeko asked innocently.

Natsuki shot her a look which told her she knew exactly what she was doing. "No, she's more Chie's friend than mine," she explained.

"Oh, that explains a lot," Saeko said, nodding her head sagely. "It seemed that she 'digs' you."

"Ma," Natsuki groaned, knowing she'd only use that word to get on Chie's slang level.

"Mrs K, Aoi does not 'dig' me," Chie butted in. Her eyes were suspiciously not meeting with theirs and she had taken to fidgeting with her hands. "She's dating someone right now."

The Kuga matron chuckled. "That doesn't stop someone from liking another," she said. "Why, I had been dating a younger man before my eyes fell on Natsuki's father. It took all I had to stop myself from throwing away my inhibitions and to not get with him whilst I was still dating that boy."

Horrified at where the conversation was going, Natsuki sought to put an end to it quickly. "Just say what you want to say without the disgusting parts," she said.

"I was just telling you a story about your father," Saeko pouted. "You hardly ever ask after him and he misses you so much."

Natsuki made a face. "I thought you were subtly hinting at Aoi and Chie," she mock-presumed, foiling her mother's plan.

Chie rolled her eyes, knowing what it was all along whilst Saeko pouted for real.

"Sweetie, as much as I love you I wish you weren't so horribly mean sometimes," she said. She then turned to Chie, "Well now that it's out in the open, let's hear all about it!" Her sadness didn't last long.

Chie winced as the attention strayed back to her. "There is nothing going on between Aoi and I," she spat out somewhat convincingly.

However Saeko didn't buy it for a minute. "Please, I wasn't born yesterday," Saeko pushed. "She only had eyes for you. And Alyssa. But then again Alyssa gives Natsuki a run in the cutest baby competition."

"Well then I don't know why she was like that," Chie said. Her heart wasn't in speaking about Aoi today, she didn't want to think about all the drama that was attached to their friendship.

Saeko still pushed. "You're not usually like this around girls Chie. Something must have happened."

Natsuki interjected before Chie had to reply. "Ma just leave it," she warned. "Aoi is Nao's friend who is dating Miyu who is our friend. She's also on the Student Council with Shizuru. That's the only way we know her."

Saeko eyed her before sitting back into her seat grumpily, much like a petulant teenager her daughter's age. "Well that's a piece of information I didn't know. Shizuru is in the council?" She switched subjects. "Is she the president? I bet she is..."

Chie nodded to indicate her thanks for taking the attention off her as Saeko began to tease Natsuki again for having an unlikely girlfriend. Natsuki shrugged as she took her mother's teasing like a champ.

* * *

Because there were far too many people to travel on a single motorcycle, Chie had roped in the usage of Miyu's car to transport them to Mai's apartment. It would have fit all of them quite comfortably but unfortunately Miyu had Nao with her which made Natsuki understandably nervous. With Nao and Miyu taking the front, Chie, Natsuki, Saeko and Alyssa preoccupied the back.

The drive started off with Nao turning around in her passenger seat with a strange smile on her face.

"Mrs Kuga, Natsuki didn't inform us that you were visiting," Nao began. "If she did then I would have prepared a meal for us to get to know you better."

Natsuki stared at the fiery redhead's mouth as utter nonsense spewed from it. This is exactly what Natsuki did not want to happen.

"Well Nao, I didn't tell Natsuki I was coming," Saeko explained, pausing to pat her daughter's cheek.

Nao noticeably brightened up and grinned. "Well in that case, if you aren't leaving soon then perhaps we can arrange a dinner for tomorrow evening," Nao suggested, revelling in Natsuki's dropped jaw.

Saeko smiled but let her down gently. "I couldn't impose, Natsuki's friend Mai is already inviting us over tonight and I wouldn't want to bother anyone else," she said.

"Miyu and I would love to do anything for our friend," Nao insisted, drawing an amused snort from Chie. Miyu didn't bother getting involved.

"Seriously?" Natsuki deadpanned, staring hard at Nao.

"In that case, sure!" Saeko happily agreed.

Natsuki turned her head so rapidly it was surprising she didn't get a kink in her neck. "Seriously?" Natsuki repeated again, but louder.

"Yeah, seriously," Chie mocked from her spectator seat.

"Great! Then I'll have Miyu pick you up at 6 tomorrow. I hope you like Italian cuisine," Nao said, basically making up the plans then and there. She glanced out the window and shot Saeko an innocent smile. "Oh look, we're in Mai's neighbourhood."

The car pulled up outside Mai's apartment block. Saeko was distracted by getting out the car with Alyssa's big carrier in the way and with Miyu helping her, Natsuki took this opportunity to lean forward in her seat and give Nao some choice words.

"What the hell are you doing?" She hissed angrily under her breath.

"I'm ruining your day, like you ruined mine," she said, jabbing a finger into Natsuki's shoulder.

"Me? I ruined your day?" Natsuki repeated in disbelief. "I haven't done anything to you!"

"Do you know what I would have been doing right now if Miyu hadn't catered you around?" Nao asked, jabbing her finger again. "We were ready. We haven't had sex in so long and when we were ready you called." This time her jab wasn't so much as a jab as it was a thump.

"Hey, Chie called. Not me," Natsuki clarified. "Okay? I didn't interrupt you guys doing the nasty."

"Whatever, you're here in Miyu's car which means it's partially your fault. You literally called when she was going to take me. We were on the kitchen counter because we were that-"

"I'm leaving," Natsuki cut her off, already moving across the back seat.

She stood outside the car with Chie and Saeko as Nao wound down her window and Miyu got situated back in her seat.

"I'll see you at 6 tomorrow Mrs Kuga," Nao said before shooting Natsuki a sly glance. "It'll be fun."

"Cut your damn nails," Natsuki said, rubbing her shoulder ruefully. Nao cackled and they drove off.

"Natsuki, you have such nice friends. Miyu is a little quiet but that Nao is so charming," Saeko gushed, smiling happily at Natsuki.

Chie snorted again, reminding Natsuki that she was virtually useless in the situation and responsible for pissing Nao off.

"Charming isn't the word I'd use but let's go with that," Chie comment wryly as she led her family inside.

* * *

The meal went as well as Natsuki expected; her mother absolutely adored Mai and had nought but good things to say about the bright girl. They were now at home and with it being too late to do anything else, the three women and one baby were lounging in their sleepwear.

"I hope you aren't taking advantage of Mai," Saeko said out of the blue. "She cooks splendidly and I know how much you like to eat."

Natsuki defensively cupped her arms around her stomach. "I am not taking advantage of her," she stated, not willing to get angry over something as simple as this.

"If anything," Chie interjected, "Mai's taking advantage of her. Mai has a mom complex and Natsuki is too shy to say no."

Saeko could wholeheartedly believe that and stated so. "Well sweetheart, I'm glad you have such a girl in your life. Even if it is for the food."

"Whatever," Natsuki gave up, knowing it was better to admit defeat than try to argue with the Kuga matron. Perhaps a change of subject was in order. "You know, we don't have to go to Nao's dinner tomorrow," she commented innocently.

"Nonsense!" Her mother instantly shot back. "How rude would it be for us to reject an invitation after she's gone through the trouble of preparing a dinner? When I said I would like to meet your friends, I meant _all_ of them. Don't think for a second that you could get away with introducing me to one or two people."

Natsuki sighed and could feel the ache from her near-constant eyebrow furrow. She was going to get wrinkles soon and become an identical copy of her mother at this rate.

"Well it isn't like that's a hard task," Chie added. "I think I can count all of Nat's friends on one hand."

"That's a whole lot better than when I was kid," Natsuki replied dryly. She pointedly looked at the clock and stood up. "I'm going to get some shut-eye. Maybe you should do the same, it looks like Alyssa's ready to knock out," she said to her mother.

She walked away after saying the necessary goodnights' and tried to sleep without thinking of the atrocities tomorrow may bring.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

It's been more than a year since I updated? I'm a bit sad that I left it that long but the will to write has returned. I hope it will continue now that this chapter is done. I do divide my creativity between drawing, writing and Minecrafting but it is the summer holidays and I have nothing to look forward to.


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